Head of a Woman 1942

Curator: This is Paul Kleinschmidt's "Head of a Woman", housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. I find her utterly captivating. Editor: Captivating! My first thought was a sort of wistful, almost melancholy, theatrical mask. The tilted head, the half-closed eyes... Curator: The exaggerated features, especially the eyes and mouth, do lend a performative air. Perhaps a reference to a specific archetype, a sorrowful Pierrot, maybe? Editor: Or a silent film diva? The watercolor feels very immediate, yet the figure seems caught between presence and absence, longing and resignation. Curator: The blue shadows under her eyes might signal a deeper psychological weight. Kleinschmidt could be exploring the performative nature of identity itself. Editor: Absolutely, and the loose brushwork adds to that sense of fleeting, almost dissolving identity. This woman is more than just a head; she's a feeling. Curator: Yes, she holds a mirror up to our own emotions and the masks we wear. Editor: Exactly. A little haunting, but ultimately a portrait that whispers, not shouts.