Can We Find Our Emotions of Lockdown Through Past Art History References? Sophie Konig

Can We Find Our Emotions of Lockdown Through Past Art History References?

Sophie Konig Upper Sixth

Since conducting a survey on the benefits and hardships experienced during lockdown, I have been interested in how certain emotions are often confined to our private lives, with a sort of façade being presented to the world instead. The extreme circumstances of the lockdown meant we were forced to face these feelings as there were few distractions which could be used to suppress them, and so the lockdowns either became a time of self-reflection and development, or one of depression and misery. This essay aims to explore how such feelings of fear and isolation have been presented by historical artists, as well as whether we are only now aware of such themes having experienced such emotional strain ourselves.

One of the most significant artists whose work frequently presented internal struggles was Edvard Munch. His most famous artworks drew from his tragic psychological experiences as a young boy (Lubow, 2006), presenting themes such as death and loneliness, all within his overarching concept of human existence, illustrated through his own emotional state (Edvard Munch.org).

not escape his grief. Similarly, in lockdown we were not only physically confined, but were also emotionally separated from the outside world and so I think comparisons After the deaths of his mother and sister, can be formed between this painting and he was left in the care of his father who the isolation of lockdown. Rather than suffered from mental illness (Edvard being painted at the age of Sophie’s death, Munch.org). He himself also fell ill the individuals have been depicted as often and so was bed- their age at the time of ridden for significant periods in his childhood (Munchmuseet). Much of The bold contours of the production, suggesting that the event would “forever [mark]” their his work was made as a way of comprehending the anxieties and fears he synthetist style seem to trap lives (Google Arts and Culture). I think that our experiences of faced, notably including The Sick Child and Death in the Sickroom (Charleton, them within the scene. lockdown act much in the same way. Our lives have permanently 2020). Rather than focusing been altered by the on the dying child, the latter portrays the pandemic, whether we discovered what grief and mourning of the family instead our true values are or contrastingly have (Edvard Munch.org). In the foreground had our mental health detrimentally is Edvard and his sisters, to the left his affected, things will never be quite the brother and next to Sophie’s chair is their same as before. father and aunt, but although they are all together, they are uncommunicative The Scream, is another painting in which and isolated from one another in grief our emotions of lockdown can be seen, for (Nasjonalmuseet) (Edvard Munch.org). The it has become widely known as “a symbol of bold contours of the synthetist style seem to modern anxiety and alienation” (Art History trap them within the scene (Edvard Munch. Online, 2017). The idea evolved from an org), perhaps echoing the way Munch could experience Munch had when walking with

Death in the Sick Room, 1895 by Edvard Munch

friends at sunset, in which he described the “sky [turning] as red as blood”, causing him to “[shiver] with fear” before hearing “the enormous, infinite scream of nature” (The Art Story). A skeletal creature stands in the foreground, with its hands clutched to its face around a large gaping mouth shrieking with horror (Charleton, 2020). It is uncertain whether the figure represents Munch or the nature from which the scream originated (Charleton, 2020), but it remains sexless (Edvard Munch.org), and so its ambiguity allows a wider audience to resonate with the emotion it portrays. The swirling shapes and distortion of the background is repeated in the body of the figure, representing how the human experience is “subject to forces beyond its control” and so the creature has become trapped by these external forces, like Munch felt he had been (The PostImpressionists: Munch, 2001) (Edvard Munch.org). However, the two figures in the background remain linear, suggesting they have not undergone the same emotional encounter and so the piece can be interpreted as representing the internal struggle rather than what is presented to the world (Artsper). Therefore, the painting has become a symbol of our anxiety, a very much internal emotion, during lockdown.

The Scream,1893 by Edvard Munch

For example, the sense of uncertainty felt when it was unsure what this new virus was or how it would impact us, and the fear of loss of control. Many were overwhelmed by panic and so I think the anguish and torment seen in The Scream encapsulates our own emotions well. One artist often thought of in this context is Edward Hopper.

Edward Hopper is thought to be one of the most significant realist painters of the 20th century (Edward Hopper.net), conveying scenes through his perception of isolation and melancholy (National Gallery of Art). The Scream is seen across the world as one Having been influenced by the works of of the earliest pieces of expressionistic art the French Impressionists on his trips to (The Art Story), a Paris (Peacock, 2017), the movement in which realistic depictions [H]is paintings dramatic manipulation of light became a were abandoned and replaced by looser marks made with portray the city as a place of characterisation of his artwork, often using strong shadows and bolder colours in “overwhelming pale lights to, again, order to represent the artists feelings stillness. portray these feelings of desolation (National at a moment in time Gallery of Art). Many and to project these emotions onto the of us have found comfort in Hopper’s viewer (Encyclopedia). Therefore, this piece paintings during the pandemic, as his of Munch’s became a pivotal point in art themes became unexpectedly relevant history as it opened up the possibility for when we were ordered to stay at home. Our art to be made, in part, to influence the cravings for social interaction were denied audience. Perhaps as a result, this is why and so having these emotions echoed in today we can return to artworks of the artwork provided a somewhat sense of century and find reflections of how we feel. relief (Laing, 2016). Hopper displays his theme of loneliness in modern life through scenes of solitary figures in “iconic American spaces” such as movie theatres and hotel rooms as well in “deserted cityscapes” (Peacock, 2017) (Jones, 2020). Despite there being millions of residents all in close proximity, his paintings portray the city as a place of “overwhelming stillness” (National Gallery of Art), forming a reflection on how whilst being physically close to others one can still feel alone in the absence of affection and emotional closeness – a recognisable experience of lockdown. Nighthawks displays this well, featuring three customers seated in a New York diner late at night. The only illumination is provided by the fluorescent lights within the diner itself, casting an eerie, artificial glow upon the darkened streets outside (National Gallery of Art). Hopper has used a clear division, as is often seen in his work, to separate us from the scene as if we are merely onlookers observing this frozen moment in time, with no insight into their lives, and so forced to conclude our own interpretation (The Art Story). Not only are we detached, but the individuals at the counter are also absent, lost in their thoughts and their unfocused gazes withdrawing them from the present (Edward Hopper.net). Perhaps they are engrossed in the “wartime anxiety” amidst World War II (Murphy, 2007), but either way, the composition of the painting serves well to highlight the alienation felt in modern times.

However, despite isolation being a dominant theme throughout Hopper’s works, he often denied this, saying that if this was the outcome then it was an expression of his subconscious thoughts (Laing, 2016) (Edward Hopper and the Blank Canvas, 2012). This leads on to the interpretation that Hopper’s pieces do not necessarily have to convey sadness, one could actually find solace in them as they could be recognised as his acceptance that loneliness is okay (The School of Life). By acknowledging that we ourselves are experiencing it, we can come to terms with it rather than be afraid or ashamed, and so turn it from isolation to solitude – its voluntary counterpart (Cherry, 2021). Automat depicts a woman sat alone, in an otherwise empty automat diner, late at night. She has a single glove on, suggesting that she is in a hurry and so can only pause from her busy urban life for a brief second (The Art Story). On one hand, the scene could be interpreted as yet another isolated city experience due the lack of human interaction needed in automats (The Art Story), but on the other it could be viewed as a peaceful moment as the diner provides a “sanctuary”, somewhere

where the anonymity allows the woman to feel safe reflecting on her troubles (The School of Life). Wim Wenders (Edward Hopper and the Blank Canvas, 2012) said that Hopper’s “paintings show the calm before the storm or the deserted scene after a dramatic encounter”, suggesting that this depiction of peace can be seen in many of Hopper’s works. In my survey, one of the themes I explored was the benefits found of lockdown and whilst few said they found any, some expressed feelings of relief. Rather than being swept up further by the chaos of normal life, the lockdowns provided a time of reflection for many, a time to sit down and rest, as well as one to appreciate the things often taken for granted. Therefore, I think select pieces, such as Automat, act instead to present this theme of solace.

Hopper’s works link strikingly well with the emotions felt amid the lockdowns. During the pandemic, contact with those we love or even just those we recognise as familiar strangers was limited, leading to these strong feelings of isolation and despair. Within households these feelings were still felt, again, linking back to how physical closeness does not necessarily transfer to emotional fulfilment. However, by viewing his paintings as the acceptance of solitude, then it remains up for debate whether they do in fact reflect lockdown since many struggled to face the isolation rather than embrace it. Therefore, overall, it is very much dependent on the viewer and their interpretation as to whether the emotions of lockdown can be found within his art.

The pose of the subject is another aspect used by artists to display emotions, giving away small, potentially unintentional, clues from which an overall impression of the individual’s mood can be formed.

For example, Käthe Kollwitz was a German artist who used paintings, sculptures and woodcuts to portray the anguish of the working class, particularly utilising pose to express emotions of grief and mourning motivated by the death of her son in WWI (Mahler, 2016). After his death, she devoted her life to pacifism and depicting the horrors of war (The Art Story), primarily those left behind such as women and children (Finkel & Simms, 2020), and at this point her art became closely linked with Expressionism as her works began to focus heavily on conveying the emotions created by the tragedy of war (The Art Story). found that the simplicity of woodcuts could better capture “the totality of grief” (Käthe Kollwitz, 1981). Widow II, part of Kollwitz’s War series, is a wood carving in which a baby can be seen clutched in its mother’s arms. The choice of woodcutting creates sharp, defined blocks of colour which prevent there being any ambiguity and so the immense suffering seen on the woman’s face is definitively trapped within the piece, with the stark contrast between the black and white adding to the horror of the composition. Emotion pours out of the image, and although it does not necessarily equate to the emotions felt in lockdown, it is a clear example of the emotive nature of Kollwitz’s work.

Throughout her career Kollwitz produced a number of self-portraits, all of which “provide intimate insights into the phases of her life” (Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln). Typically, the portraits were limited to her face, with the occasional incorporation of her hand (Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln), but we are invited to look beyond physical appearance into the feelings which provoked them (Appleyard, 2019). The large, magnified view of her face in Self Portrait from 1934 acts to trap you in her penetrative gaze, despite the darkness behind her eyelids making her appear

distant in thought. Kollwitz’s 1921 Self Portrait is an etching in which bold lines capture her, again, distant gaze, looking sorrowful as she contemplates her worries. Angular wrinkles have been used to form a furrowed brow, to heighten the forlorn mood of the piece, and bold forms to define the brutality of which war has affected her life. Each of these stances can be visualised as somebody in the midst of lockdown, gazing woefully through windows to the outside world, or hunched over in defeat as the isolation becomes too much to bear.

Whilst Kollwitz’s motivations and principles for why she produced such work are very different, I think that there is still a resemblance of her art to the emotions felt in lockdown. For the lucky people, grief was not present in the sense that it was for Kollwitz, but it can be argued that there was mourning for normal life to return. We felt trapped in our circumstances in the way that Kollwitz felt the world was imprisoned by war.

Each of the artists discussed all present emotions through their artworks, the despair and misery of lockdown to no exception, albeit in very different manners.

Munch opened up the world of art to the expression of internal emotions. By changing the way in which the audience can engage with a piece of artwork, he has allowed a sense of community in modern times. Although unintentional, to be established. For example, in the it does appear that these feelings of photographic depictions of the public loneliness have always been present in clapping for carers; it made people feel a society, suggested by their surfacing in part of something bigger than themselves Hopper’s work, but nowadays we have working towards a common goal. However, technology to sustain contact, and our as the months went, days are filled with those at home gradually stopped participating Munch opened up distractions and so I think the pandemic as the loneliness began to consume them and with it the sense of the world of art to the expression of has highlighted to each of us the superficiality of our normal lives as community faded away. internal emotions. we have realised that This is much like how when finally alone, Kollwitz’s glorified we are not content. ideas of war as a child crumbled after her I, therefore, believe that this exposure to son died and its true horrors were unveiled solitude brought on by the pandemic has (Käthe Kollwitz, 1981). She represented meant that these themes in his art have those left behind when soldiers went off to suddenly become apparent to us. war, depicting scenes of grieving mothers and so comparisons can be drawn to the In conclusion, it is evident that the photographs of healthcare staff living emotions experienced throughout the separately from their children to prevent lockdowns can be found in art history, them from contracting Covid-19. The despite the causes being distinctively scenes of families separated by windows different to a global pandemic. Whether are much like the barriers which Hopper through Kollwitz’s emotive self-portraits used to isolate his subjects. However, and concepts of war, Munch’s portrayals what is most interesting is the debate as to of his inner emotions through distorted whether we would have ever been able to figures and colour, or Hopper’s disjointed resonate with his art to this extent if the scenes of alienation in modern life, pandemic had never occurred. Yes, there the themes of loss, isolation and fear are times when each of us feel lonely, and have consistently been presented over sometimes they occur when surrounded time. However, it often takes first-hand by people; nonetheless, this separation knowledge and understanding in order has never been felt on such a large scale to notice.