Art and Emotion

"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint," at least according to Edward Hopper, the famous American painter. Sometimes "you" is substituted for the first person singular, but usually it is clear that Mr. Hopper was talking about himself rather than the rest of the world. Regardless, many visual artists, whether painters, sculptors, photographers or others recognize the truth in his words. For most of us, the reason to make art is in the emotion--to evoke a wordless but deeply-felt experience in the viewer. 

Francisco Goya, "The Third of May, 1808," oil, 1814

All of the above is not to say that people these days always produce evocative artwork. There is a legion who make pretty things that people enjoy having in their public and private spaces. The world is a better and more livable place because of that. Nonetheless, visual artists quite commonly have a personal need to connect with the viewer on a gut level, not an intellectual one. Artists like Rembrandt speak to us by showing the world-weariness and seamed faces of the Dutch bourgeoisie, while his contemporary Adriaen Brouwer showed us the good humor and foolishness of the common folk. Two centuries on, Francisco Goya gave us "The Third of May, 1808," (above), sometimes considered as one of the first modern paintings in the sense that it depicts the horrors of war, in this case the Spanish resistance to Napoleon's occupation. Hundreds were summarily executed at several locations in Madrid on the date in the title, in reprisal for rising against the occupation. Goya may or may not have witnessed these events but his revulsion and horror are palpable in the painting. 

Kathe Kollwitz, "Frau mit totem kind (Woman with Dead Child)," 1903

In our own time, painting underwent enormous change, yet the idea of evoking an emotional response has remained. In a century of war and depression, artists like Kathe Kollwitz faced its horrors with stubborn resolve. Others chose abstraction as a way to make the viewer experience emotion--Abstract Expressionism, for example. In large scale works, painters exemplified by Jackson Pollock avoided representative forms, substituting actions like dripping or pouring paint. Other abstract expressionists chose to use fields of color as a visual trigger.

Jackson Pollock, "Number 1, Lavender Mist," 1950

Whatever the image, representative or otherwise, the most serious intent in visual art is emotion.