This course surveys art produced in extremis during the Holocaust, by individuals in hiding, or in the camps and ghettos. Together, we will explore how victims used artistic expression as both a means of documentation and as a form of “creative resistance” to communicate their protest, despair, or hope. Course readings couple secondary literature with primary sources and ego documents of the period, such as the artists’ own writings and diaries. Particular attention will be given to the social, political and cultural contexts of art production and reception.

Course Syllabus