20th Century Death Portrayal in Art Essay - 2365 Words

The 20th century was a time period lasting from January 1, 1901 all the way through December 31, 2000. Commonly known as the modern era, this century was nothing less than contemporary in every aspect throughout the world. Art in itself has always been a widely known and incorporated feature around the world since the beginning of time. As centuries came and went, eras within art and certain portrayals were heavily integrated and became best known as being used within certain centuries. From visual arts, to music, theatre, literature, and architecture, there has never been a dull moment. As modern as the 20th century was though, a very evident theme seemed to stand out among others within many forms of art. This was the portrayal of death.†¦show more content†¦The woman portrayed is Florence Owens Thompson and her children. She and her children were hungry and desperate at the time while they were in this state of destruction. She had sold everything and had nothing and Lang ’s attempt when she took the photograph was to demonstrate a photographs capability to display emotional powers. The look of death on the mothers face was meant to make emotional connections with the viewer as a cry for help. Last, when it comes to paintings, Frida Kahlo was a legend in her own time. On a constant basis, her art demonstrated how expressionism can be based on life scenarios (Wood, 1998). Kahlo was well known for her self-portraits displaying her uni-brow and an imperious expression. Her art was personal and every piece was an attempt to let the viewer know that art is not always based on world events, but sometimes personal event too. In 1943, Frida Kahlo painted Thinking About Death. With a vegetation background and another domineering facial expression, Kahlo painted a skull and cross bones across her forehead. Her attempt was to portray her mental state based on her preoccupation with morality and events that were going on in her life. These events included her diagnosis of polio, her near fatal bus accident leaving her unable to conceive a child, and her miserable relationship with artist Diego Rivera. Before this piece though, another death portrayal was set forth in Kahlos piece â€Å"A Few Small Snips†; createdShow MoreRelatedWeeping Woman746 Words   |  3 Pageshysteria, and death. The sad and dark eyed woman is Picassos lover Dora Maar, but the woman is also a symbol of a victim of war or a witness to the war in Spain spreading throughout Europe in 1937. Weeping Woman stands as a strong, iconic denouncement of the atrocities and inhumanity of modern warfare. The sharp angles reflect intense pain and the strident palette of acid greens and hot purples allows no rest or forgiveness for the eye- only protest and accusation. 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