Female image. Illustration to Dante "Vita Nova" 1965

Editor: Here we have Hryhorii Havrylenko's "Female image. Illustration to Dante 'Vita Nova'," a drawing in ink on paper from 1965. The starkness of the black ink against the white paper creates such a compelling and austere mood. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This work immediately draws my attention to the role of women, specifically their representation within both art and literature of this period, also when the work was created: the Sixties. Considering that it is an illustration for Dante's "Vita Nova," it is fascinating to question how Havrylenko situates his female image within that historical and cultural context. Dante’s work idealizes a woman named Beatrice. Considering that, what might Havrylenko be trying to convey by rendering this image so starkly, so geometrically? Editor: That's an interesting question. The geometric nature almost feels like a distancing, a removal from the idealized, perhaps even challenging that idealization? Curator: Precisely! I agree that the sketch challenges idealized forms. Could this portrait be Havrylenko’s subtle commentary on the objectification of women? Consider too, that this work was created during a time of Soviet oppression in Ukraine; Havrylenko's engagement with European art and literature could itself be a form of quiet resistance. The face's simplified forms also give her an everywoman quality, democratizing her image in some ways. Editor: I see what you mean. By stripping away the ornamentation, he makes her almost universal. This brings up a whole new perspective on Soviet artistic expression that I had not considered. Curator: It's a compelling way to interpret this drawing, isn’t it? It underscores the power of art to act as both a mirror to and a critique of the cultural forces shaping it. Editor: I definitely see how we can engage this piece in so many important dialogues now.