Figurehead: Warrior

Editor: This is Mary E. Humes's "Figurehead: Warrior," made around 1938. It's a pencil drawing, and what strikes me is the formality of the figure and his composed expression, like he knows his place in the world. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see a fascinating intersection of power, representation, and labor. The drawing was made as part of the Federal Art Project during the Great Depression. It is rooted in the ideal of American artistic production from a period where that was very controlled. The figure is both classical, reminiscent of Roman busts of emperors, but also explicitly a 'warrior', conjuring ideas of strength, and perhaps even of justifiable violence, embedded in that time period. Do you think Humes is questioning or reinforcing that hierarchy? Editor: That's a really interesting point. The fact that it was part of the Federal Art Project adds another layer. I hadn't considered whether she was challenging those ideas or simply depicting them. Curator: The very act of representing a "warrior" in this context deserves scrutiny. Consider the sociopolitical landscape of 1938, with rising global tensions, as well as domestic labor unrest; how might those circumstances impact her choice of subject, as well as how we see it now? What's he guarding? And whom does it serve? Editor: That is incredibly thought-provoking. I guess I was just seeing it at face value, but there's a whole conversation about power, control, and representation embedded in the image. It certainly offers far more depth. Curator: Exactly. The work reveals a complex dance between individual expression and broader social forces, between Humes, the US Government, and the rest of society and their assumptions around class and labor. Editor: Thank you, it definitely changed how I understand the piece and what to consider when looking at art from this era. Curator: It’s a testament to the power of art to hold up a mirror to ourselves, our societies, and our preconceptions.