Pat Mercer Hutchens, teacher and accomplished practicing artist, continues her work on the Auschwitz Album Revisited. She has completed over thirty prints to date. Pat confesses that in her dreams she often sees these innocent children who are about to be murdered and she tries to save them. The dreams have motivated her to paint and preserve the memory of every victim that she can. Here is one of her latest prints: Little Pink Rose of Hungary.
From Pat: “I was so struck by this beautiful baby girl, one of the myriad of babies and small children murdered immediately upon arriving at Auschwitz. Here she hangs her arm peacefully over her mother’s back while being held close, safe and warm at her mother’s breast. This child hasn’t a care in the world and has no idea of what is soon to happen. While another young child and the mothers huddle and gaze at distant dangers, she feels completely safe with her Emma (Mommie). How many times I used to pull the sleeves down over the arms of my babies because I had no gloves to keep their little hands warm. The longer I painted on this artwork, the more I wanted to reach out and pluck her right out of the painting. I so longed to be able to save this Little Pink Rose of Hungary, but must settle for making her precious little face known, remembered and not forgotten.”