17099 („Mit Vielen zu leiden ist nicht schwer …“) 1932

John Elsas made this drawing in 1932, using colored paper and ink on paper. It’s called “17099, To Suffer with Many is Not Hard.” The title, written below the figure, is a poignant observation, and the flat planes of color create a figure both present and remote. The shapes are solid, but there's a sense of vulnerability in the way the figure is composed. The bright, almost jarring color palette, with its bold purples and reds, adds to the emotional complexity. Look at how the hat sits precariously on the figure's head, an almost absurd contrast with the weighty words. Elsas embraces a stark, unrefined aesthetic, echoing the radical simplicity of artists like Henri Matisse. It’s this kind of visual shorthand that makes the work so affecting, capturing a mood with incredible directness and clarity. Elsas reminds us that art doesn’t need to be polished to be powerful.