Head of a Girl c. 1913

Curator: Wilhelm Lehmbruck's "Head of a Girl," now at the Harvard Art Museums, presents us with a study in form and feeling. Editor: She’s so melancholy, isn’t she? Like a poem someone whispered and then forgot. That long neck… almost swan-like in its vulnerability. Curator: The downturned gaze is interesting. It echoes a classical motif of modesty, yet the elongated features also suggest a kind of spiritual yearning. Editor: Exactly! And the material itself – the warm, almost earthy tone – softens the sadness. It's like she's made of memory. Curator: There is a striking sense of humanity despite its stylization. It makes her timeless. Editor: It does. You know, looking at her now, I feel a bit more hopeful than I did a minute ago. Funny how art can do that.