Römische Spinnerin 

Curator: Before us hangs “Römische Spinnerin” by Anton Romako. Editor: Right away, I'm struck by this woman’s gaze – she seems lost in thought, a bit melancholy even. It's such a contrast with the bright colors and almost idyllic setting. Curator: Precisely. Note how the figure is rendered in a relatively tight, almost academic style. However, the surrounding landscape is more loosely, even gesturally painted. This creates a visual tension, a contrast between the specificity of the woman and the generality of her surroundings. Editor: It almost feels like she's been superimposed onto a postcard scene! Though, to be fair, it works somehow. There's a rawness there – despite the pretty dress and the little waterfall detail, the work avoids saccharine prettiness. Curator: Observe also the colour palette at play: Romako deploys a high-key register, dominated by warm ochres and blues to frame and model the female form, an approach which anchors the sitter within her immediate environs. What interpretations does the medium of painting itself lend to your understanding? Editor: Well, that's a big question. I immediately think that through brushstrokes of the oil-paint there is a timeless quality brought forth into the overall impression – the permanence of painting echoes that feeling of almost pausing time. Curator: Her attire, which seems deliberately 'folksy' contributes to a complex, romanticized depiction of rural life, perhaps an imagined Italian identity. There is a deliberate interplay between idealization and observation, mediated, I think, through the gaze and pictorial strategies that resist a simple, didactic meaning. Editor: Yes. I also get this feeling the artist didn’t care for just presenting us with superficial prettiness. You get a sense he wants you to feel more than to simply look, do you know what I mean? Curator: It’s true, that’s an appealing insight to be inspired by! Editor: I find it wonderful to think, in today's world saturated with images, such a contemplative approach can still yield meaningful and beautiful perspectives!