17679 (_A mother that has three children …_) 1932

This work, 'A mother that has three children…', was made by John Elsas, seemingly with paper and ink. Elsas’s drawing has a deliberately basic quality. The figures, rendered in pink and black, have a blocky, cut-out appearance. They stand on a blue platform, underlined by a band of yellow. Below, handwritten text fills the space, giving the work a storybook feel. The materials are simple, but they open a window into the artist's world. Elsas was associated with the Städel Museum in Frankfurt. He was also diagnosed with schizophrenia, and his work can be placed in the tradition of art brut, made by those outside the mainstream. Outsider art often has this quality of directness, reflecting the artist's unfiltered vision. In that context, the deceptively simple quality of the drawing has considerable power, achieved with minimal means. It reminds us that powerful work can be made with humble materials, challenging the idea that art requires elaborate technique to be meaningful.