Singer In Black 1916 - 1917

Curator: Before us hangs Helene Schjerfbeck's "Singer In Black," likely created between 1916 and 1917. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Stark, almost ghostly. The color palette is so restrained, and the brushstrokes so visible—it feels like she’s emerging from the canvas. There’s a somberness to it that’s quite captivating. Curator: It’s interesting you say that. Considering Schjerfbeck’s commitment to portraying the human condition with raw honesty, I think that restraint really underscores the realities of a female singer during wartime Europe. How do you see the construction and use of materiality of the piece? Editor: Materially speaking, it's oil on canvas, but the technique is remarkable. See how thinly the paint is applied in areas? It almost feels like watercolor, blurring the lines of what oil paint can do. This approach flattens the picture plane and adds to the figure's spectral quality. Curator: Indeed. And that visible texture of the weave of the canvas is deliberate. Look closer, it functions almost like a visual representation of her very social fabric! It acknowledges its support structure but remains present within it. Editor: Yes, the grid gives it such a fascinating abstract-figurative interplay! It’s almost as though Schjerfbeck is simultaneously building up a recognizable likeness while deconstructing the very notion of representation itself. This tension elevates the composition, giving it emotional weight. Curator: And let’s not forget her process of working and reworking over previous painted figures and self-portraits. There's a cyclical repurposing happening, reflecting material scarcity during the years she developed the painting and offering her own commentary on labour. Editor: A cyclical rebirth of the figure, reflecting a cycle of historical circumstance; how fitting that such simplicity in colour and form can harbour a wealth of depth. Curator: So, looking closely at "Singer in Black," it becomes more than just a portrait. Editor: Indeed—a visual poem of form and colour but charged with meaning and feeling.