Mathilde Mengelberg-Wübbe (1875-1943) 1915

Curator: Right, let's dive into this intriguing plaster relief by Pier Pander, titled "Mathilde Mengelberg-Wübbe (1875-1943)", created in 1915. What strikes you first? Editor: A sense of quiet dignity. The profile view, the slight smile… there's something both classical and incredibly intimate about it. It’s as if a Roman coin decided to tell you its secrets. Curator: The profile is quite deliberate, echoing Neoclassical ideals. The medium of plaster also lends a soft, almost dreamlike quality. Editor: Absolutely. Plaster gives it this ghostly permanence. But it’s the geometric frame that fascinates me – it constrains and highlights the form, adding a layer of symbolism. A perfect circle is an archetype of wholeness. Was Mengelberg-Wübbe seen as some kind of complete ideal? Curator: Fascinating thought. Perhaps. Or maybe Pander aimed to capture an idealized version, in line with the prevalent artistic styles of the time, elevating her to almost mythical status within her social circle. The style gives me pause. I struggle a little to find much in common between this and the prevailing mood just before and during WW1... Editor: Well, the historical context does add another layer. World War I was raging, yet here we have this…serene portrait, a sort of escape? An attempt to preserve beauty amid chaos? Circles historically offered protection against hostile spirits in folklore; I wonder did the image provide any kind of sanctuary? Curator: It's easy to see it that way. And let's face it: portraiture often has that function to preserve memories. This bust might've allowed the commissioner a degree of power over memory in this case. Still... art always fights back in ways one never intends or suspects, even against those who made it in the first place. Editor: Indeed! So much encoded in what might appear at first glance as a straightforward depiction. I keep looking for hidden images or symbolism--the shoulder is giving the artist another face--the negative space really plays off the emotion of Mathilde in relief... Curator: A remarkable piece for provoking such diverse musings and connections! A great intersection of skill and medium and perhaps an excellent model in its own right, and of course a portrait whose creation coincided with extraordinary cultural transformations. Editor: An encounter with our past that subtly shifts our present understanding.