Joanna Pollakówna (1939–2002) was a Polish poet, essayist, art historian, and children’s book author. She published twelve volumes of poetry and eight books about painting. She specialized in twentieth-century Polish painters and Italian Renaissance masters, and was particularly interested in the literary output of painters. Several of her poetic volumes were awarded prestigious prizes.
Giovanni Bellini, Pietà (1505), oil on wood, 65 x 90 cm, Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice
For more on the poetry of Pollakówna, read “A Terrible Ecstasy,” a companion essay by Alice-Cathe…