Waiting Around

This painting with an unexpectedly powerful political message depicts people in 1943 waiting for boats to flee the country. A gloomy black sky arches above them and there is not a single ray of light on the dark sea either, which the people are gazing at. Such hopelessness and a state of predicament is deeply tragic, and Võerahansu offers no false hope: he depicts the misery of the era in a straightforward manner.
The people depicted in the picture have probably been waiting there for some time. Some of them are sitting and staring calmly into the darkness, others are standing in small groups. There is not much communication going on. The figures have been rendered in a hasty and spontaneous manner, as if Võerahansu had himself been part of the scene and was now trying to mediate a firsthand impression.