One piece of art I chose that I saw invoked a strong feeling in me was The Polish Girl (ca. 1929; Oil on canvas) by Ivan G. Olinsky. I picked this piece because when I first saw it, it gave me a strong feeling of loneliness. The girl is looking beyond the canvas’ borders, almost like her eyes are longing for something. Possibly, she is longing for a better life, a better future that she does not currently have. The picture’s environment looks like a kitchen, a common place a woman was expected to be during these times. The women might have just finished household chores, seen by her head covered in a maid’s bandana, ultimately expressing her exhaustion of this labor she is practically forced to do. I particularly felt a sense of loneliness from the painting because it seems like she is the only one present in this environment, maybe not physically, but mentally she is alone. She is alone because no one is around to support her dreams, her aspirations that she longs for with her long stare.

Reflection
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