Stern Piece: Pocahontas c. 1939

Albert Ryder created this watercolor and graphite drawing, Stern Piece: Pocahontas, at some point in the twentieth century. It depicts the carved figurehead of Pocahontas, a familiar icon of American history and mythology. I find myself thinking about Ryder’s intentions and process here. What was he thinking about when he made this? I imagine him carefully applying layers of watercolor to capture the texture and form of the original carving, almost like he was trying to reverse-engineer it. The brown pigment gives the artwork a sense of warmth and earthiness. The crisp lines give it structure. Ryder, being born in 1911 and living until 2001, experienced many significant artistic movements. It’s tempting to see echoes of American realism in this piece, but also, I think it captures something timeless about the human impulse to represent and interpret the world around us. It speaks to how artists are in a constant dialogue, influencing and building upon each other's visions across generations. It makes me think about the ongoing conversation we all share through art.