Sins and Sacrifice: Emma Katherine Hepburn Ferrer’s Journey Through Sacrifice and Redemption

Sins and Sacrifice: Emma Katherine Hepburn Ferrer's Journey Through Sacrifice and Redemption

January 9th was a crisp New York night as I walked through the Tribeca neighborhood with its unique buildings and still-decorated storefronts towards Sapar Contemporary. This evening’s opening of The Scapegoat was special as the granddaughter of Audrey Hepburn was debuting her latest series of paintings. Emma Hepburn Ferrer has quietly been building her name in the art world first as a curator and artist liaison in New York, before returning to her home in Camaiore, Italy in 2021 to devote herself to her art practice and eventually to obtain her MFA from Central Saint Martins in London.

What is a Scapegoat? Throughout history, the Scapegoat myth has emerged as a powerful narrative that transcends cultural boundaries. It captured Ferrer's imagination through its exploration of ritualistic sacrifice and shared human emotions. Her fascination with this theme began during her studies of the Iliad at Harvard, where professors Gregory Nagy and Kevin McGrath introduced her to the ancient Greek concept of human scapegoats. This archetypal story continues to resonate with her, bridging ancient wisdom with contemporary relevance.

Ferrer has traced the Scapegoat's presence from pre-biblical and early Christian traditions to modern-day practices, discovering its echoes in unexpected places like horse racing, bullfighting, and hunting rituals. To deepen her understanding of these connections, she has immersed herself in Greek mythology, theology, and religious philosophy through coursework at both Harvard and Oxford University. Ferrer, who owns two herding dogs, is an animal lover. Perhaps this connection sparked her interest in exploring the Scapegoat myth.

One reflection upon seeing the works is how isolated the animals are in the composition. In the majority of the work, it is a single lamb or goat lying limp in a field. Perhaps this choice is an ode to how these creatures have been abandoned with our own demons upon them so we humans can be free of the struggle. The humans whose burdens have been thrust upon the creature are not in sight even to mourn for the animal. An inspiration of Emma’s, Kenneth Burke writes, “if one can hand over his infirmities to a vessel, or “cause,” outside the self, one can battle an external enemy instead of battling an enemy within.”

Another key inspiration for Ferrer's The Scapegoat came from William Holman Hunt's 1854-1856 painting of the same name, which illustrates the ritual scapegoat described in Leviticus. In Hunt's version, the goat bears red fabric wound around its horns, representing humanity's sins that it carries. The animal traverses a barren landscape strewn with bones, possibly the remains of previous scapegoats that perished in this wilderness. In contrast to Hunt’s goat, depicted still standing, the goat in Ferrer’s work is lifeless and limp already having buckled in the weight of the sacrifice for humans.

The influence of her time spent in Tuscany and upbringing in Florence, Italy surrounded by Renaissance and Medieval painting can be seen in her style, use of perspective, and the color palate. The isolation of the figures in her compositions is also influenced by her home in the Apuan Alps. This remote village and tight knit community in which Ferrer resides prompts contemplation of interdependence on other humans and creatures.

A subset of the works are charming scenes from this town and the surrounding mountains. My personal favorite was a yellow chapel with a row of prayer candles seen inside glowing. The vignettes of mountain goats standing atop a peak and winding paths through the alps are a lovely juxtaposition to the limp scapegoat lambs in other parts of the series.

All in all, it the scapegoat is a subject quite timely for an era where catastrophic events are unfolding more and more. I think of the LA wildfires that are ravaging California for whom many surely wonder what possible cause there could be for this destruction. After all, as Viktor Frankl wrote “The meaning of life is to give life meaning". Human nature is to seek out a reason why things are the way they are. The myth of the scapegoat is assuredly one means of managing feelings of guilt about actions one may have taken and would like to be free of.

Overall, this was an excellent showing of work by Ferrer and we quite enjoyed the selection of works, some a bit of morose along with some lighter compositions. The show runs through February 15 at Sapar Contemporary on N. Moore Street in Tribeca. Go have a look and then head over to the Brady Library for drinks to discuss and stay warm on these chilly days.