Awakening 1913

Curator: This is Wilhelm Lehmbruck's "Awakening," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels so vulnerable, almost like a half-formed thought. What drew you to it? Curator: Lehmbruck's work often captured the social anxieties of pre-war Germany. There's a fragility here, a sense of uncertainty about the future. Editor: The pose is classic, reclining nude, but the stark lines and the almost haunting face give it such a modern feel, devoid of overt classical symbolism. Curator: Exactly. It's a break from tradition, mirroring the societal shifts of the time. The artwork invites us to reflect on personal and collective awakenings. Editor: Indeed, the starkness leaves an impact. Makes me wonder what anxieties the artist intended to evoke. Curator: Perhaps the anxieties of a society on the precipice of change. Editor: That resonates strongly. The image leaves much to the imagination.