Figurehead c. 1938

Frances Cohen's Figurehead is an undated bas-relief sculpture that presents a figure in historical garb. Cohen was a student at the Académie Julian, which was progressive for its time, admitting women to study art. The work echoes images of colonial explorers and leaders. With the historical context of European expansion in mind, the figure might symbolize the complexities of power, identity, and representation. The whiteness of the figure evokes ideas of racial hierarchy but also renders it almost ghostlike, open to interpretation. What stories might this figure tell, and whose perspectives are absent from its narrative? What does it mean to represent a figure of authority in the absence of any markers of his achievements? The sculpture asks us to consider the untold stories and suppressed voices within historical narratives, while pondering how we attribute honor and historical significance.