Drawings (1929 – 1941)

The drawings made during this period are perhaps the most representative of Hannah Frank’s style. The lines become simple and elongated, and more organic forms replace the geometric patterns. The use of white lines on a stark black background is one of Frank’s signature design choices, and reflects a deep understanding of the relations between non-colours and emotion. During the war, for example, her drawings became darker: ’Flight’ links the plight of Jews escaping from the Nazis to the Exodus. She is a master in the economic use of line and colour to evoke the qualities necessary for the eerie fairytales that she illustrates. Rarely expressive, the figures are static and otherworldly, yet integrated in their dark and organic surroundings.