Three young women 

Curator: Noè Bordignon’s “Three Young Women," housed in a private collection, immediately evokes a hushed, almost dreamlike atmosphere. The medium used is oil on canvas and despite lacking a specific date, the piece feels historically significant. What strikes you first? Editor: It's the ethereal quality, definitely. Like catching a fleeting moment of these women almost fading into memory. The leftmost figure, veiled in what seems like a gauzy material, has a wistful quality. What draws you in from a production standpoint? Curator: Precisely that gauzy material. The visible brushstrokes suggest the materiality of the veil itself, highlighting Bordignon's attention to rendering texture. Thinking about his choices, you're faced with his intention in portraying youth but shrouding some of it in what might symbolize inexperience, or even innocence. Editor: True! And each face carries a completely distinct emotional register, I’d argue. One's lost in thought, the other curious and forward-looking, and the third seems cautious, with knowing eyes. Their collective portrait feels somehow very intimate, doesn't it? The realism is undeniable and so skillfully done with what looks like so much movement within each brushstroke! Curator: Realism wasn't just about mimicking reality. It was very invested in social critique. Perhaps here Bordignon subtly hints at societal expectations placed upon women in an emerging world? And with "realism" comes, of course, all that physical making and moving of material. The canvas supports the layers of labor to ultimately convey ideas! Editor: I agree entirely. It is tempting to impose our modern understandings, especially of women today, onto an artist such as Bordignon. Still, viewing "Three Young Women" leaves one with lingering questions and the allure of youth, subtly captured. A pensive and poignant depiction, I must say. Curator: I concur! Considering materiality reminds us art is made. Reflecting on those depicted helps consider to whom or for whom an artist chooses to labor. A fascinating oil painting that connects historical brushstrokes to ongoing dialogues, wouldn't you agree?