Hanka Zborowska 1919

Editor: So, here we have Modigliani's "Hanka Zborowska," painted in 1919 using oil on canvas. It’s held in a private collection. What strikes me is her almost haunting gaze...or lack of one, really, with those almond-shaped, blank eyes. What do you make of this portrait? Curator: Haunting is spot on! It’s like she's both present and absent. You know, Modigliani often elongated features, didn't he? Look at that swan-like neck, almost Botticelli-esque! It feels… mournful. The way her face seems to melt into the background. Do you think that enhances the mood? Editor: Absolutely, the colours definitely enhance that sense of melancholy. It almost feels unfinished, like a memory fading. But tell me more about those eyes - why the blank stare? Curator: Ah, the eyes! Modigliani apparently once said that he would paint the soul when he knew a person. Maybe he hadn't quite deciphered Hanka's soul yet, or perhaps he believed that the emptiness invited the viewer to project their own emotions. Or maybe, just maybe, he enjoyed playing with enigma. What feelings arise within *you* when you view this painting? Editor: It makes me wonder about her story. Was she sad? Or simply… unknowable? I suppose art is like that sometimes, an open door to endless interpretations. Thanks for illuminating so many elements of the work. Curator: My pleasure. It's like staring into a slightly distorted mirror of our own emotions, isn't it? Every glance seems to change what the painting expresses. Now I’m going to seek out my slightly distorted reflection...