This barge was never intended to float. It is made of massive stones, and was constructed as an elegant Venetian breakwater to protect the small boats that once harbored here on Biscayne Bay. The barge is a prominent feature of Vizcaya, built in 1914 as the winter home of International Harvester’s James Deering. This barge was also used for many of Deering’s dinners and parties. Deering had sculptor Stirling Calder create numerous statues to its decks, as well the figureheads placed at the bow and stern. Rather than describe the entire barge, I photograph here one of those figureheads at close range. The voluptuous winged goddess rises from the sea and leans into the wind, even if the barge is going nowhere. This image symbolizes a place that gives us a unique glimpse into a vanished lifestyle.