60 x 45 cm (h x w)

acrylic on paper

On September 26, 1930, David Sobol was born. He was tragically killed in Auschwitz at the age of 14 in 1944 as a result of Nazi atrocities committed during 1944. The Sobol family, originally from Montreuil, France,  lived in Brussels during the war. Both of David's parents were born in Poland. Apart from a brother who died of appendicitis, all members of the Sobol family were deported after being denounced and were sent on the last transport to Auschwitz from Malines on July 31, 1944. Only David's brother Paul (19) and sister Bella-Betsy (17) were able to return home. Five Memorial Stones have been placed in front of the Sobol family's last residence in Brussels to honor their memory.

The portrait is part of a series called "Resonance - Never Forget". For me, portraying is a form of contemplation of the life of the person. The choice of color palette is meant to celebrate who David was and what he could have become. Working on the portrait raises questions about David's hopes for his future, his talents, what made him smile and what he could have accomplished if his life had not been taken away in Auschwitz.