Surviving Art from Terezín: The Satirical Drawings of Pavel Fantl

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the art of Pavel Fantl (1903–1945), a Czech Jewish doctor whom the Nazis murdered shortly before the end of the Second World War. Fantl left behind approximately eighty drawings. Despite being created under difficult conditions in the Terezín Ghetto, his art stands out for its use of humor and satire. This article argues that Fantl’s work not only testified to the suffering and persecution of Jews, but also reflected the wider visual conventions of the time, in particular the satirical cartoon and comic strip of the 1920s and 1930s. In addition, by tracing the material practices surrounding Fantl’s art, this paper shows how the creation and survival of drawings from the ghettos hinged on strong interpersonal bonds with non-Jews beyond the ghetto walls.