Art Through The Ages: Battling Grief With Beauty
By Clara Arbolino
By Clara Arbolino
From paintings to charcoal and pencils to sculptures, art is all around us. People use it for anything, whether it comes to simply expressing themselves or wanting an escape from the outside world. As it has become clear during the pandemic and other catastrophic events throughout history, artists find themselves using art to get through grief and depressions.
Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh is known for some of his very famous pieces such as “The Starry Night”, “Irises,” and “Sunflowers.” However, what a lot of people don’t know about him, is that he fought depression for a lot of his life. Though he died of alleged suicide when we was in only his mid 30s, art was what kept him alive and going. He created over 800 paintings in the course of just 10 years. It helped distract him from everything and art was his happy place.
The Spanish Civil War
In 1936, a civil war broke out in Spain. Not only did it affect the people fighting but also the average citizens just trying to go on with their lives. A very famous artist now, Pablo Picasso, (who is known for creating the concept of cubism and modern abstract art) was one of these average citizens just trying to get through everything. He created the piece “Guernica” to show the world what was happening in Spain, and it definitely paid off. Guernica helped people get over the grief of the war and educated people who weren’t a part of it.
9/11
As most people know, on September 11th, 2001, terrorists attacked the World Trade Center. People all over the country were scared for their lives and many loved ones died. Artists were hired to help survivors get through their grief by making art for them. They could describe what they saw or where they saw it and let themselves out onto a piece of paper.
COVID-19
Last year, in 2020, a deadly pandemic struck the world. Between staying at home and worrying about the sickness, a lot of people struggled. To cope, they made art. This art represented how stuck they felt or how sad they were. Healthcare workers in particular made a lot that showed how overwhelmed they were by all the pressure put on them lately.
All of the events are incredibly different from one another, yet they all include the theme of getting over something incredibly hard. Art is very special, in a way truly depends on the person. What does art mean to you?
Sources: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-02-22/healthcare-workers-coping-covid-pandemic-art
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/the-history-of-art-therapy-dates-approx-by-year
https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/why-we-need-arts-in-times-of-crisis
Image credit:
https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2020/7/13/the-art-of-war-examining-picassos-guernica-as-a-tool-for-leader-professional-development
Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh is known for some of his very famous pieces such as “The Starry Night”, “Irises,” and “Sunflowers.” However, what a lot of people don’t know about him, is that he fought depression for a lot of his life. Though he died of alleged suicide when we was in only his mid 30s, art was what kept him alive and going. He created over 800 paintings in the course of just 10 years. It helped distract him from everything and art was his happy place.
The Spanish Civil War
In 1936, a civil war broke out in Spain. Not only did it affect the people fighting but also the average citizens just trying to go on with their lives. A very famous artist now, Pablo Picasso, (who is known for creating the concept of cubism and modern abstract art) was one of these average citizens just trying to get through everything. He created the piece “Guernica” to show the world what was happening in Spain, and it definitely paid off. Guernica helped people get over the grief of the war and educated people who weren’t a part of it.
9/11
As most people know, on September 11th, 2001, terrorists attacked the World Trade Center. People all over the country were scared for their lives and many loved ones died. Artists were hired to help survivors get through their grief by making art for them. They could describe what they saw or where they saw it and let themselves out onto a piece of paper.
COVID-19
Last year, in 2020, a deadly pandemic struck the world. Between staying at home and worrying about the sickness, a lot of people struggled. To cope, they made art. This art represented how stuck they felt or how sad they were. Healthcare workers in particular made a lot that showed how overwhelmed they were by all the pressure put on them lately.
All of the events are incredibly different from one another, yet they all include the theme of getting over something incredibly hard. Art is very special, in a way truly depends on the person. What does art mean to you?
Sources: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-02-22/healthcare-workers-coping-covid-pandemic-art
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/the-history-of-art-therapy-dates-approx-by-year
https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/why-we-need-arts-in-times-of-crisis
Image credit:
https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2020/7/13/the-art-of-war-examining-picassos-guernica-as-a-tool-for-leader-professional-development