Explore through theme
We have selected five themes as a way of linking some of the paintings from this exhibition together to initiate discussion. In particular, we want to help visitors to compare work produced in the 1940s as a form of historical record with work responding to the same events many decades later.
Eric Taylor
A Young Boy From Belsen
Concentration Camp, 1945
watercolour,
Imperial War Museum
Roman Halter
Shlomo 1, 1974-1977
oil, Imperial War Museum
Paul Ryan
Concentrate, 2001
ink, Imperial War Museum
Select a theme to explore the exhibition:
Women: Women feature strongly in this exhibition both as protagonists within the paintings and as their creators.
Camp Internees: Most of the people shown in these works were imprisoned by the Nazis – often for long periods of time and in barbarous conditions. It is interesting to look at the different approaches and styles of how they are portrayed.
Perpetrators: Perpetrators are seldom shown in these works, yet their presence can be implied in different ways.
Loss: Several kinds of loss – of life, hope, dignity and humanity – are conveyed in these works.
Response: Each artist has produced a response to an 'unspeakable' situation. These responses provide a new layer of interpretation to which the onlooker can also respond.
Questions for consideration: For each theme we have also suggested some questions that can initiate debate. The questions are suitable for GCSE and AS/A2 students. Useful background material is supplied through the artist biographies and glossary.
