Kore med granatæble, Berlin 1929

Curator: What a fascinating image! This is "Kore med granatæble, Berlin," or "Kore with Pomegranate, Berlin," a piece made in 1929 by Marie Henriques currently housed here at the SMK. Editor: My first thought? Melancholy. That blue backdrop feels like a fading memory. And yet, the statue itself has a sort of gentle power, wouldn't you say? A silent guardian. Curator: I see what you mean. Thinking of the ancient kore figure as a prototype—the female body sculpted and presented to articulate notions of idealized womanhood—we should ask ourselves, what does it mean to re-present it in the early 20th century? Henriques situates this ancient figure, not in some celebratory past, but against a somber background that subtly suggests its loss of context. Editor: Exactly! It’s like Henriques is whispering, “Remember, but don’t forget where we are now." The watercolor technique, the almost faded charcoal lines – they feel fragile, like she’s trying to capture something ephemeral. Almost as if she’s pulling back the veil between past and present. The pomegranate adds something too, that pop of color feels deliberate against the somber tones, wouldn't you say? Curator: Indeed. The pomegranate, in this context, speaks volumes. As a symbol, the pomegranate's association with fertility and abundance stands out; this evokes, through its forceful contrast to the artwork's medium (watercolor and charcoal on paper), our relationship with both materiality and its cultural meanings. And so Henriques asks, "What does it mean to preserve something through image alone?" The tension presented by a drawing of a stone structure urges this critical engagement. Editor: Right, and there's a loneliness to it as well. A solitary figure, a ghost from the past. Makes me wonder, what personal resonance did this image have for Henriques herself? As an artist, I’m drawn to those unanswerable questions that echo within a piece. Curator: That tension, the layering of past and present through the visual medium... I agree; it speaks to so many intersecting dialogues we can have as observers of the world. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Editor: It's been an insightful experience to explore with you this piece, and just to ruminate on the act of seeing itself.