those eyes saw the brutality of nazi labour camps, where manfred was sent with his family. one day his younger brother herman was taken by ss guards, and manfred never saw him again. he did describe it as hell on earth, and it was very hard for me to imagine what it must have been like. it was very harrowing, but i feel that was really important to go there and to realise how dark it had been in order to realise what a bright light manfred is. so much is in the detail of each portrait. aric hirsch rests his hand on his left arm, the arm that bears his auschwitz number. and lily abert is painted with a gold pendant which she hid in the heel of a shoe while at auschwitz. she still wears it today. i thought we owed it to these