Woman's Head c. 1930s

Editor: This pastel drawing, "Woman's Head," from the 1930s, by Abraham Walkowitz, has a very serene feel to it. I find myself drawn to the way she seems to be gazing inward. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: What strikes me is how Walkowitz's modernism intersects with themes of female representation and the artist’s own subjectivity. Consider the context of the 1930s: The Great Depression, anxieties around labor and identity… Does the woman’s posture, her closed eyes, suggest a retreat, perhaps a refusal to engage with a tumultuous world? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn't thought about it in terms of refusal. I was focusing on her seeming calm. Curator: Calm can be a form of resistance. Who gets to be calm, and under what conditions? In the early 20th century, there's a tension in portraying women – between objectification and giving them interiority and agency. Think about how her gaze is directed – or, rather, not directed. Do you think her lack of engagement empowers or disempowers her? Editor: That makes me think about how portraiture often defines identity through outward appearance, but here, that's less of the focus. Maybe it’s a statement about the limitations placed on women. Curator: Precisely. By eschewing conventional markers, Walkowitz seems to offer a critique. The softness of the pastel and muted colours adds another layer of complexity – do they reinforce traditional femininity or challenge expectations? Editor: I'm starting to see this portrait as less passive and more of a statement, a quiet defiance, even. Curator: And that, for me, highlights the crucial role of art in social commentary and its ability to invite conversations. Editor: Exactly, I learned so much today, thank you! I have a lot to reconsider.