Figurehead 1935 - 1942

This figurehead, in watercolor and graphite, probably served as a study for a sculpture, a celebration of form through gentle tones. The ochres and umbers are so subtle they almost whisper, and the whole image feels like a dance between light and shadow. Look at the way the dress drapes, each fold and curve carefully considered. You can almost feel the texture of the fabric. The artist uses these simple means to make something so alive, so real. The way she balances with one foot on the bracket, it gives the impression she’s about to launch into the unknown. And isn’t that what art is all about? Like the way Guston played with form and meaning, here too, there's this push and pull, this beautiful ambiguity that lets us bring our own stories to the surface.