Kore (Akropolis museet inv. 675) 1911

Marie Henriques created this painting of ‘Kore’ at an unknown date, with delicate washes of brown, red, cream, and touches of blue. Imagine Henriques, brush in hand, carefully building up layers of color, almost like she's excavating the sculpture from the flat surface of the canvas. I feel a real sense of kinship with Henriques here. She's not just copying; she’s in conversation with the original Kore, a sculpture that has its own history and presence. It looks as though she is trying to grasp something essential about the figure – its dignity, its mystery. The thin paint allows the light to pass through, giving the figure an ethereal quality, as if it’s a memory or a dream. It makes me think about how artists are always looking, always learning from each other across time. Henriques, through her painting, invites us to look closely, to feel the weight and the grace of this ancient figure. It’s a beautiful reminder that art is never really finished, but continues to evolve through the eyes and hands of those who engage with it.