Enkele liggende geiten 1878 - 1944

Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita made this print of two goats, called "Enkele liggende geiten" in Dutch, using lithography. De Mesquita, a Sephardic Jew in the Netherlands, operated within a society undergoing rapid modernization yet grappling with deep-seated prejudices. His personal background and cultural identity shaped his artistic perspective, and the dark tones and grainy texture that define his work are hard to look away from. Here, the goats are set against a dark background, their forms rendered with a sensitivity that evokes a sense of empathy. Consider the emotional weight these animals might carry, especially given de Mesquita's tragic fate as a victim of the Holocaust. The image doesn't just depict animals; it whispers of vulnerability, resilience, and perhaps even resistance in the face of oppressive forces. In these quiet representations, de Mesquita subtly challenges traditional representations, inviting us to contemplate the interconnectedness of life and the ever-present shadows of history.