Geabstraheerde sculptuur van een knielende man before 1961

This is Hans Borrebach’s ‘Abstracted Sculpture of a Kneeling Man,’ a sketch from 1972. Borrebach lived through both World Wars, and his artistic career gained momentum in the post-war era amidst debates about the role of art in society. The sketch depicts a figure kneeling on a geometric form. The body is rendered in stark lines and angles, a departure from traditional representations of the human form. This abstraction can be viewed as Borrebach’s way of addressing the dehumanization he witnessed during the war. The kneeling position suggests vulnerability and perhaps humility. The inscription at the bottom translates to “Not too bad for modern sculpture!” This self-aware, almost ironic statement, is a commentary on the evolving understanding of art and its purpose. Borrebach invites us to consider how art reflects societal shifts, and how it grapples with representing the human condition in a world marked by both progress and profound loss.