Vrouwen op appèl in Ravensbrück - Aat Breur-Hibma

A poignant graphite sketch by Aat Breur-Hibma, documenting the daily reality of women during roll call at the Ravensbrück concentration camp.

This drawing by Aat Breur-Hibma captures a moment of daily life within the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Created during her imprisonment, the work depicts a group of women standing in a line during roll call. The artist uses a light, delicate graphite line to record the figures, focusing on their posture and the physical toll of their environment. The paper itself shows significant wear, with a large portion of the upper section missing, which reflects the precarious conditions under which the artist worked.

Breur-Hibma was a Dutch artist who used her skills to document the experiences of those around her. Her sketches from this period function as a visual record of the dehumanisation and hardship faced by prisoners. The figures are rendered with a sense of quiet observation, avoiding dramatic flourishes in favour of a direct, honest depiction of the scene. The composition is sparse, with the figures occupying the lower half of the page, leaving the rest of the space empty. This choice draws attention to the isolation and vulnerability of the subjects.

As a historical document, this sketch provides a personal perspective on the events of the Second World War. The artist's ability to maintain her practice under such extreme duress demonstrates a specific form of resistance. The work is not a polished final piece, but rather a study that captures a fleeting moment of reality. By preserving these images, Breur-Hibma ensured that the individual experiences of the women in the camp were not entirely lost. The drawing remains a stark, unadorned account of survival, rendered with a steady hand despite the circumstances.