A Portrait of Mrs. Doe

"One day, a group of archaeologist discovered a deposit of artefacts from the 21st century of common dating. It was extraordinary, as the sapiens material record had almost entirely disappeared. Among them, they found a collection of female portraits on paper that intensely captured their attention. The fact that they were all female faces intrigued them deeply. The dim light from their bioluminescent lamps fell on the images, creating a mysterious and mystical atmosphere, very pictorial. The scene required stopping, looking attentively. The women portrayed seemed to be participating in a common frame.

The archaeologists present immediately brought all their neural networks into communication. They wondered how it had been possible for such a weak support, paper, to withstand the onslaught of the planetary disaster: ‘We could be looking at a case of accidental preservation, perhaps the place where these portraits were found was quickly covered by sediment during the catastrophe, isolating them from the destructive elements’, they thought telepathically. But another factor immediately came to the fore: the value that Homo sapiens placed on art. ‘It is possible 

that, in the final moments before the catastrophe, someone made a conscious effort to preserve these works, recognising their cultural importance,’ acknowledged Eco, the team leader. They even wondered whether it was the artist himself who tried to preserve his legacy. ‘Perhaps, sensing impending disaster, some artist or art lover took steps to protect the works. It is a romantic theory, reminding us that, even in the face of adversity, Homo sapiens valued their artistic expression and sought to transcend the things of life through it. Art was their greatest legacy, and they knew it. It was very complex for sapiens to assume that individuals were continually changing beings, so they had a very strong illusion of identity and a real need to make all kinds of portraits,’ they reflected together, giving rise to a telepathic conversation between the group members.

Echo watched the portraits attentively while her companions projected their thoughts into a common mental space, creating a tapestry of interwoven concepts.

‘These portraits are fascinating’ she began. 

‘There is something peculiar about five of them, do you notice?’

Terpsichore, the visual analysis specialist, approached. 

‘Yes, these five are different. They look like faceless shadows, but the shapes of the hair suggest 

that they are female sapiens. There is a consistency of style that indicates they are from the same hand. Can anyone identify the author?’

Lira, the art history expert, closed her eyes and accessed the collective database of her species.

‘The author of these portraits is Fernando Martín Godoy. His style is unmistakable, even after so many millennia. In addition, there are some notes in which he talks about his Casting series, which consists of a group of images taken of very famous people of the time who, when their faces are blurred, are as anonymous as those whose faces we see, but we have no reference to identify them.’

Echo’s eyes traced the blurred contours of what were once clear and recognisable faces..."

Isabel Durán Puertas