Tina Joest 1899

Editor: Here we have Franz von Lenbach’s "Tina Joest," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. There's a solemn quality to her gaze, and the oval frame almost feels like a looking glass into another time. What do you make of this portrait? Curator: It’s as if Lenbach is trying to capture something beyond just her likeness, isn't it? Almost a melancholic meditation on aging, on memory itself. The muted tones create such a pensive mood; I wonder what stories she could tell. Does it make you think of anyone? Editor: Maybe a stern aunt from a period drama? What strikes me most is that she looks so serious. Curator: Perhaps, but I also see a quiet strength in her eyes. A life fully lived, etched in the lines around her mouth. It is lovely to imagine. Editor: I'll definitely see it with a different eye now. Curator: Wonderful! Each visit peels away another layer.