"And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast..." XVII.3 

Bernard Reder, a Jewish artist who fled Europe during World War II, created this print, "And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast..." from the Book of Revelation, and it pulses with the anxieties of his time. Reder's personal history deeply intertwines with the artwork's themes of apocalypse and exile. The grotesque figures and biblical subject matter reflect not only Reder's engagement with religious themes, but also his visceral response to the war and the Holocaust. The woman riding the beast, a symbol of decadence and corruption, can be seen as a critique of power structures that enable oppression and violence. In Reder's eyes, “Art is the only thing that keeps me alive.” This piece isn't just a depiction of a biblical scene, but a deeply felt expression of trauma, resilience, and the search for meaning in the face of unimaginable horror. It challenges traditional representations, offering a powerful, emotional narrative.