Vajda Lajos Háború Harc 1940, Szén, Papír, 90x126cm 1940

This charcoal drawing on paper, called War Battle, was made in 1940 by Vajda Lajos. It is a maelstrom of dark marks depicting figures in a battle scene. The approach to mark making is gestural and immediate, the artist's process laid bare. The charcoal creates a velvety texture, the strokes thick in some areas, thin in others, with smudges and soft edges. Look at the figure in the top right, see how the charcoal is layered to create depth? These details add to the emotional intensity of the piece. It's like watching a raw nerve exposed. Lajos's work shares qualities with that of artists like Käthe Kollwitz, whose unflinching depictions of war and poverty also stir feelings of unease and empathy. Like Kollwitz, Lajos embraces ambiguity. The result is a drawing that feels both personal and universal.