Figurehead 1935 - 1942

This painting, simply called ‘Figurehead,’ is an image of a sculpture of a woman attached to the front of a ship. Look at the way this artist has handled the paint, it's neither too thick nor too thin, but just right to capture the texture of the sculpture. You can almost feel the cold, hard marble beneath your fingertips. I bet this artist carefully considered the cool palette of grays, blues, and browns, allowing the image to emerge gradually as the surface slowly came to life. I can imagine the artist thinking about ancient sculptures, like, what might it have been like to carve such a figure? About the ship cutting through the waves like paint moving across a canvas. The artist has left so much space for us to fill in the gaps, to bring our own thoughts and emotions to the work. It's a reminder that art is a conversation, a continuous exchange of ideas that spans across time. It’s a reminder that every artist and viewer has a voice in the discussion.