HUM2020 BLOG

“Hand with Reflecting  Sphere”, by M.C. Escher

In 1935, Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher presented to the public his piece “Hand with Reflecting Sphere”. With flawless technique and master artistry, Escher brings us his stunning self-portrait style lithograph that has since been the recipient of numerous awards. Immediately upon viewing the painting, we become captivated by the menacing spherical mirror resting in the hand of the beholder. Upon close examination, you will notice that no matter the placement of the mirror in relation to the artist, his eyes are fixed dead center of the sphere staring with some ominous over-watch.  Despite rather you held it close near to your face or far away at arm’s length, you could never escape the fact that when you gazed into the reflecting sphere all you would ever see is yourself staring back at you. Just as you could never escape your own stare with such a sphere, Escher implies that we can never truly be beyond some form of scrutiny or observation and that we are all at the center of our own attention.

 

“The Scream”, by Edvard Munch

From the world of expressionism comes a famous piece known as simply; “The Scream” and was painted by Norwegian painter and harbinger of expressionism Edvard Munch in 1895. The painting is one out of a Timothy Leary field “trip”, filled with large clashing colors and enough wave-like distortion to make sailors queasy. “Take Munch's painting The Scream as example. You haven't actually perceived it until you've heard a scream - an incessant scream which makes you tremble. Visual perception, in this case, must proceed through to an acoustic one.”(Welsch, 2000) Playing off of that truth, it’s safe to assume that this painting is one of pain or of surprise. The painting is generally analyzed the same as its painter, one of a sad past with constant trials to overcome. Along with being prized for being the first painting in expressionary art, the painting also depicts the sad life and rigorous hardships of its creator.

 

“Soldier take warning”, by Salvadore Dali

This painting, painted by Spanish surrealist painter Salvadore Dali in 1942 was a simple warning to the soldiers fighting during the Second World War. At first glance, we notice a soldier gazing upon two inviting looking women standing under the glow of an up lit streetlamp, upon closer examination you will notice that the women’s placement to the lamp creates a hidden skull in the background of the painting. Dali’s intention with this painting was to warn the soldiers of WW2 of the common phenomenon  of venereal diseases that ran rampant throughout their ranks.

 

“Old Guitarist” by Pablo Picasso

Following the suicide of a close friend in 1901, Picasso entered his “blue period” and out of such came many famous paintings from the pained soul of the Spaniard. During this period, Picasso worked fondly with blues and grays as well as tending to work with somber subjects. Most of these paintings depict the elderly, poor, and those who were frail or sick. Coming out of such a sad portion of his life, many of his works blatantly reflect how he was in spirits. The painting depicts an blind musician who appears to be elderly and subsequently poor, the man is holding a brown guitar, the only other color besides blue in the entire painting. There is a sense of overall tragedy and sadness within this painting, as if telling the story of a life that had more to offer.

 

“Skeletons fighting for a smoked Herron”, by James Ensor

This obscure painting by the infamous James Ensor is one of regular confusion. It depicts two skeletons literally fighting over a piece of smoked fish. And yet it is a riveting composition, two boldly painted skeletons, one wearing a fur hat, in a dog-style tug-of-war with a fish, suspended in a cloud-puffed sky. It encapsulates Ensor’s oeuvre—strange, well executed, understandable perhaps only to the artist himself—and yet undeniably fascinating. Ensor intended to expose the meaningless ferocity between critics in the art world by comparing them to skeletons fighting over scraps of old fish.