Man in profiel naar rechts met de linkerhand opgeheven Possibly 1944

Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita made this drawing, "Man in profile to the right with his left hand raised," with pen and ink on paper. The starkness of the black ink creates a bold contrast against the white paper, emphasizing the clean lines and geometric forms. The artist was part of a generation that used printmaking to express their social and political concerns. With a nod to both realism and abstraction, the artist captures the human form, in a society undergoing rapid change. De Mesquita likely used a relatively simple set of tools: a pen, ink, and paper. The ink lines vary in thickness, suggesting a controlled yet expressive hand. The starkness of the medium mirrors the difficult and turbulent times in which the artist was living. The directness of the line and the reduction of detail invite us to consider the essence of the subject and its connection to broader social themes. It reminds us that even seemingly simple materials and processes can convey profound meaning.