Figurehead 1935 - 1942

Curator: A drawing, seemingly delicate, depicting a powerful symbol: a ship's figurehead. This portrait drawing, made with watercolor, comes to us from John Sullivan, dating between 1935 and 1942. Editor: She looks austere, but oddly... expectant. The cool, muted palette gives her a detached presence, despite the ornate rendering of fabric and form. The scale of the piece suggests an almost fetishistic focus on the carved object. Curator: It's intriguing how Sullivan captures both the ornamentation and inherent power of these nautical sculptures. Traditionally, figureheads served as the ship's guiding spirit, a protective deity overseeing voyages and safeguarding sailors. This woman, frozen in this image, continues to embody those intentions, a spirit both fearsome and guiding. Editor: A woman, yes, perpetually rendered as an emblem of protection while simultaneously functioning as a marker of colonial conquest. Aren't these figureheads always feminine? And isn't there something deeply unsettling about ascribing the violence of seafaring to the female form? It's a complex historical echo that lingers even now. Curator: Absolutely, and it highlights a recurrent archetype. We project ideals and anxieties onto these images. Consider the headdress or shawl. The depiction gives her an almost veiled or spectral quality, evoking the lore surrounding ships lost at sea, echoing with ghost stories, maritime rituals, and the somber recognition of forces beyond human control. Editor: Her clothes also imply an ideal: red vest and gold belt, but what is her origin or status? Sullivan doesn't tell us, making her simultaneously hyper-specific and symbolic, which, like colonization, is all about erasure and appropriation. Is Sullivan reinforcing these problematic gendered narratives, or does he challenge them? I confess that is harder to tell, in this instance. Curator: That tension—between symbol and specificity—makes this such a compelling image. These nautical figures have long served to embody not just protection but also the spirit of exploration, the unknown, the perils, all personified in her steadfast gaze. Editor: It urges a broader understanding of representation and power—particularly how the feminine continues to embody patriarchal desires and colonial ambitions. This drawing allows us to reflect critically on this intersection in maritime culture and visual practice. Thank you for illuminating this drawing with so much wisdom. Curator: It has been my honor.