Ma Grande-mére Mourante, Szeged, Hungary 1922 - 1923

Theodore Milton Fried made this touching drawing, titled 'Ma Grande-mére Mourante', in 1922, in Szeged, Hungary. It's all charcoal and delicate greys, really capturing a tender moment, a goodbye. I can imagine Fried with his stick of charcoal, trying to record every detail, every shadow on his grandmother’s face as she slips away. It’s like he’s trying to hold onto her, or maybe just trying to understand what’s happening. The lines are smudged in places, soft, like he's barely touching the paper. There’s a real sense of intimacy and grief, right? I mean, think about the history of drawing, of portraiture. Artists have always tried to capture something essential about a person. Here, it's more than just a likeness. The shading around her eyes, the way her hand is drawn so lightly—it communicates so much vulnerability and tenderness. It reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz, also drawing grief. These drawings connect us all, across time.