Helene Schjerfbeck

Helene Schjerfbeck first painted the motif ‘The Broken String’ in 1892. At the time, the theme was associated with many names, including the biblical ‘Psalm of David 137’ and ‘By the Rivers of Babylon...’ However, the painting does not give the impression of being a traditional devotional motif, so the artist decided on a more neutral title.

This only known reinterpretation of this motif is in a class of its own, emotionally reflective and musical in its composition. The musicality is reflected in the unrestrained, elegant rhythm of the composition. Black, grey and white sweeps and lines create a contemplative mood, as if the girl were pondering existential questions rather than her damaged instrument.

‘The Broken String' from 1927 is a fine example of how modernist reinterpretation works in Helene Schjerfbeck's production, and how an old theme is given a completely new aspect. In this case, a musical illusion is created, as if the notes of the broken string are still vibrating in the air around the girl, lost in her thoughts.

Leena Ahtola-Moorhouse