"And I saw the Holy City..." 

Bernard Reder, a Jewish artist who fled Europe during World War II, made this etching called "And I saw the Holy City..." Reder's personal history of displacement and survival profoundly shaped his artistic vision. This piece evokes a sense of longing for a promised land, seen through the lens of someone who has experienced the horrors of war and persecution. The figures ascending towards the city, set against a backdrop of jagged, almost apocalyptic terrain, capture a complex interplay of hope and despair. Reder was deeply influenced by his Jewish identity, which is seen in the religious and biblical themes of his work. "The Holy City" speaks to themes of redemption, spiritual aspiration, and the search for peace in a world marked by conflict.