The heroes of which paintings of famous artists self-isolated

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

All over the world, the main topic of news reports is, of course, the coronavirus. The plague of the 21st century literally forced many to stay at home in quarantine. And many decided to captivate themselves with art! Great job. I wonder how famous artists have reflected the important topic of loneliness and isolation in their canvases today? I propose to see some of the work.

Edward Hopper - Empty Space Artist

Touching on the theme of loneliness and isolation from society, it is simply impossible not to mention the American artist Edward Hopper. He was born in 1882 in Nyack, New York, to a middle-class Protestant family. The artist's personality was complex: withdrawn, silent and, in addition, shy (which was reflected, of course, in his work). They call him “The Artist of Empty Spaces”, “the poet of the era”, “the gloomy socialist realist”. Often his paintings are associated with these names. After all, they usually depict confined spaces, lonely people, twilight, lifeless interiors and roads leading nowhere. Very similar to modern realities! Indeed, his characters, the environment in which he places them, is utterly simple in everyday life. Constantly experimenting in search of his style, moving from oil paintings to etchings and back, Hopper received public recognition only at the age of 40.

With the theme of isolation, loneliness, his paintings are closely related. The artist's laconic canvases are mesmerizing, and their plots look like frames from a random film strip.

John Curran is a master of cozy family themes

Another American artist is John Curran. His paintings perfectly reflect the modern specifics of life. One of the most characteristic features of John Curren's paintings is the grotesque depiction of various parts of the human body. Unlike his colleague, Hopper, John Curren instilled optimism and cheerfulness in his characters. Just look at this couple, how they cook pasta with special warmth and comfort. Or another couple having fun discussing something over glasses of wine.

Constance-Marie Charpentier and her "Melancholy"

Constance-Marie Charpentier was a regular guest of the Parisian salons. She specializes in genre scenes and portraits, mainly of women and children. In 1801 she presented and received an award for her work Melancholy. Melancholy can sometimes appear in moments of loneliness, because when a person is alone with himself, he looks back, reflects on everything that he has done. In a melancholic state, every mistake and every action is acutely felt, as if it is happening in the present moment. The artist's painting depicts a woman staring at the ground. Her shoulders are hunched over as if she were weighed down by her gloomy thoughts that reflect the darkness of the forest. In modern realities, melancholy can also overtake us.

"The Old Guitarist" Pablo Picasso

Touching on the theme of human existence, it is difficult to ignore the work of Picasso. He has one picture that largely reflects the nature of the Italians during the quarantine period. They occupy themselves with … music! The "old guitarist" refers to Picasso's famous "blue period" in which he used shades of blue. The blue-blue palette in the work of Picasso is a symbol of poverty, hunger and human suffering. In this picture, the hero plays the guitar. The musician is completely immersed in his thoughts and reflections. And here the quote of Picasso himself is very opportune: "Without great loneliness, no serious work is possible."

Jan Vermeer's home heroines

Jan Vermeer was famous for his genre works, where the main role is played by a woman busy with household chores. The Milkmaid was written by Jan Vermeer in 1657–58. It is small (45.5 x 41 cm) and is a wonderful example of Dutch realism genre painting. The painting depicts a maid in an ordinary room that looks like a kitchen. She is busy with household chores, namely, pouring milk into earthenware. The heroine is a young, foldable woman, dressed in the traditional outfit of the time, consisting of a white linen cap, a yellow shirt and a blue apron. "The Milkmaid" is one of the last works of the master of the "Golden Age" of Holland. The work combines genre and still life. The composition exudes a quiet serenity, the only movement in which is the flow of milk into the bowl. What is the connection between the painting and the present? As the heroes of Vermeer's paintings are busy with household chores, so people during the period of quarantine and self-isolation are forced to occupy themselves with household chores.

Whistler's Mother

In the information space, you can find a whole collection of remakes of the famous Whistler painting. Sherlock in Whistler's mother's chair. Whistler's mother as a nail decor. In the role of Ninja Turtle. With a cat, with a dog, with an electric guitar and a basketball. Whistler's mother from balls and from Lego. Watching TV. Listening to music. Advertises Christian Louboutin's shoes … Arrangement in Gray and Black, No. 1: Portrait of a Mother, best known as Whistler's Mother, is a canvas painting by American artist James McNeill Whistler in 1871. Whistler associated his paintings and prints with musical works, giving them musical names.

Tea drinking on the balcony of Boris Kustodiev

Boris Kustodiev's "Merchant's Wife at Tea" is another example of a pleasant pastime during the period of isolation. The heroine Kustodieva sits on the balcony and sips tea measuredly against the backdrop of a provincial cityscape. In addition to a solid still life, the accent of the picture is, of course, directed at the heroine. Baroness Galina Vladimirovna Aderkas, heiress of a noble family from Astrakhan, attracts the eyes of all spectators. Merchants and merchants in the work of Kustodiev personify people's dreams of happiness, abundance and fulfillment.

We tend to think of loneliness in sad and negative terms as something we should avoid. Although in fact this is one of the most desirable and useful states in which every person should live part of their time. This is the only moment when people can truly think about themselves, their true Self and achieve inner peace. What else will help you survive quarantine and isolation difficulties? Creative flash mob! An interesting project called "Isolation" has been launched in Russia, in which people recreate famous paintings at home without Photoshop or other treatments. Only improvised means and imagination. It seems that isolation has not weakened the creative spirit, but, on the contrary, revives talents in people.