Refugees 1942

Cyprián Majerník made this watercolour painting called Refugees in 1942. It's all about the washes of colour here, right? Layer upon layer of browns and creams, and it's this process that builds up the image. When you look closer, you see that it is made with thin paint, almost transparent in places, giving it a ghostly feel. The strokes are quick, energetic, especially in the water around the boat, which makes you feel the urgency and chaos of the scene. Notice how the faces of the refugees are not clearly defined, as if they are dissolving into the crowd, or perhaps they are symbolic of something larger. Majerník was interested in social issues, and I think you can see this echoed in the paintings of Kathe Kollwitz, who dealt with similar themes of war, poverty, and human suffering. It is this exchange of ideas, across time, which keeps art alive.