Figurehead c. 1939

Editor: So, this is Lucille Lacoursiere’s "Figurehead" from around 1939. It appears to be watercolor and charcoal on paper, depicting, well, a figurehead! The neutral palette gives it almost a ghostly presence; she’s clearly idealized, like a neoclassical sculpture. What leaps out to you when you see this piece? Curator: The oar, first and foremost. Notice how it is positioned vertically. Oars in art aren't just about rowing. They can symbolize journeys, both literal and metaphorical. Think of Charon ferrying souls across the River Styx in Greek mythology. Do you see other subtle cues like this in the figure’s presentation? Editor: I see. Well, the hat she’s holding feels almost performative, theatrical. Not practical at all for actual seafaring. Curator: Precisely! This 'figurehead' exists in a space between reality and ideal. Figureheads were traditionally female, offering protection and good fortune. They acted as symbolic intermediaries, protectors watching over sailors. Editor: That’s interesting. The figure seems more symbolic than functional, a cultural memory of sorts rather than something purely practical. It makes me wonder if there's an element of nostalgia here, remembering a bygone era of seafaring. Curator: That’s insightful. Nostalgia definitely plays a role. This artist revives earlier myths of fortune and safe passage. By drawing our attention to these symbols of the past, she also perhaps asks us to question what new symbols of security and success we are inventing now. Editor: That is so much more than I expected to see! Thanks, I never thought of her in those terms before, this symbolic go-between watching over people on their journeys. Curator: Every symbol, after all, is a lens through which we understand ourselves and the world around us.