Portrait of a Young Woman in a Hat (Jadwiga Zak) 1913

Eugeniusz Zak captured Jadwiga in a hat with paint, maybe watercolor, or gouache. Look at the way the colours blend, soft and muted. I bet it was like watching her emerge from the paper, bit by bit, a dance of light and shadow defining her face beneath that hat. The hat and ribbon feel solid while the face seems more like a suggestion, or a memory. I’m thinking about the way Zak handled the paint here, so gentle, almost like he’s afraid to wake her. You see echoes of other artists, like Modigliani, in the elongated face, the dreamy eyes, and the way she's lost in thought. But Zak brings his own sensitivity to the work; a quiet, tender feeling. It's like he’s inviting us into a shared moment of contemplation, a silent conversation. I love how painting can hold so much, a space for feeling, thinking, and seeing the world anew.