art concepts

Important societal issues are frequently communicated through the medium of art. Artists share their ideas and perspectives on important societal topics using a variety of approaches. Women have been employed by artists, for example, to represent a variety of significant social issues across time, serving as a vehicle for requesting effective solutions from relevant organizations, such as the government. 'Home- after the Flood' by Herman H. Wessel and 'The Silk Merchant' by Robert Frederick Blum, both of which can be seen in the Cincinnati Museum, are examples of artworks that show various concepts of art, particularly depending on how they mold women via art. Wessel’s work is a reflection of the 1937 flood, and the way that society reacted to the aftermath of the flood. Wessel chose to use women in demonstrating that the society needed to accept the event because it was inevitable and remain strong, while using the scenario as a tool to call for action towards establishing suitable strategies that could be applied to minimize the impact of floods in the future. On the other hand, Frederick’s work features the aspect of trade in Chinese culture. The painting reflects a man as the trader or merchant and his customers, who are all women. The painting brings out several aspects of the Chinese culture, including the traditional dressing style for both men and women, and the role of women in ensuring that their families are well groomed to match the ideals of the Chinese society. Wessel and Blum’s work are similar in that they both reflect the common issues that affect society, including the effects of nature and trade respectively and the ways in which they affect women. However, the two works differ in that they are based on different cultural backgrounds, and they portray conflicting aspects of how society regards women. While Wessel’s work demonstrates women as strong individuals through their ability to face difficult situations, Blum’s work demonstrates the gender inequalities that exist in societies, which are often advanced through establishing distinct gender roles that women and men are expected to uphold. The paper will focus on the different ways in which Wessel’s work and Blum’s work compare and contrast based on the concepts of art applied in the two artworks.

Home-after the Flood by Herman H. Wessel

Herman H. Wessel, born in 1878 in Indiana, is regarded as one of the most successful American artists. Wessel enrolled at the Cincinnati Art Academy on 1896 to study art and later joined the Royal Academy in Munich, Europe, for further art studies. Wessel died in 1969 but left a wide collection of artworks, which can be accessed from museums, galleries, art auctions among others (caused (Love and Peters 75). Some of Wessel’s artworks that can be accessed online include ‘Bellaire, Ohio’ and ‘Downtown Cincinnati from the Ohio River’. ‘Home-after the Flood’, which Wessel created in 1937 demonstrates the dilapidation that the 1937 flooding caused (Love and Peters 89). The painting is a two dimensional piece of art created using on Masonite. The work is naturalistic, in that the images are easily identifiable and they largely the natural settings that reflect the aftermath of flooding. The title of the painting makes sense, in that it directly informs the audience that the painting is based on the aftermath of flooding. Further, a visual texture can be felt from the painting, which further enhances the aspect of flooding.

I think that the message that the artwork sough to present is the effect of flooding in the society and the need for implementing strategies that could effectively mitigate the effects. My interpretation of the painting is that women are the most affected by the events of flooding, since they often bear the burden of children, whom they must protect from the extreme e effects of flooding, including drowning and cold among other effects. The painting, however, seeks to present a positive aspect of women, whereby the woman in the painting demonstrates an element of strength. Although almost everything surrounding the house seems to have been destroyed by the flooding, the woman seems strong and dedicated towards overcoming the effects of the flood. Moreover, the work fits into the historical context, where it features the 1937 flooding that destroyed an extensive amount of resources, but given that it was a natural disaster, the society had to accept its effects and go ahead in finding solutions to the flood as well as rebuilding the surrounding infrastructure to restore the previous status quo.

The Silk Merchant by Robert Frederick Blum

Blum was born on the 9th of July 1857 and died on the 8th of June 1903 (Aronson and Wieseman 141). Blum is globally recognized as a successful American artist, who produced several pieces of art, as well contributed towards the development of several art organizations, including the Society of American Artists, the National Academy of Design, and the American Watercolor Society. The painting, ‘The Silk Merchant’, which is found at the Cincinnati Museum was created using oil on canvas. The painting was created in 1892m reflecting the growth in trade in the Chinese society as well as a reflection of the distinct gender roles in the Chinese society at the time. The title makes sense in that it reflects one of the most crucial elements of the Chinese culture, silk traditional dress, commonly referred to as the Kimono, which is majorly made using the silk fabric. The work is naturalistic in that it reflects the typical Chinese fabric merchant shops, where the sellers are majorly men, while the customers are largely women. The work of art is presented as a painting, which feels small from my physical perspective. The frame, therefore, compliments the work since it is in the form of a two dimensional painting.

From my view, I think that the message that the painting sought to put across is the role and position of women in the Chinese culture. From the painting, it is clear that businesses are largely owned by men, and that women are required by the Chinese cultural values to source for important family items such as fabric for making clothing among others. The painting largely expresses the idea that gender roles in the Chinese culture are well-defined, an aspect that is associated with creating gender inequalities in societies. Blum’s work has extensively focused on the cultural aspects of societies, particularly in relation to women and the Chinese culture. Some of Blum’s works that can be accessed online include ‘The Ameya’, ‘The Tollet’, ‘Street Scene in Ikao, Japan’, and ‘Spring Landscape’ among others (Aronson and Wieseman 148).

Similarities and Differences between ‘The Silk Merchant’ and ‘Home-after the Flood’

The two painting are similar in that they were both created using oil as the key medium. Further, the paintings include women, where the artists use women to express crucial cultural and societal issues. In both cases, women are presented to have a role in the home. In Wessel’s work, the woman standing outstanding the house, which is typically a home is portrayed to be deeply concerned by the destruction of her socially define place. On the other hand, the women in Blum’s work are shown to be engages in activities that relate to the home, shopping for fabric that is used in the making of clothes for the family, an aspect that resonates with the role of women in the Chinese culture as well as other global cultures. However, the two paintings differ in that they demonstrate different settings, where Wessel presents the woman in circumstances of distress, after a flood that has destroyed almost her entire home. On the other hand, Blum presents women doing their normal activities as defined by the roles that the society expects of them. Further, the two works differ in that Wessel presents a woman as a strong being, where despite the destruction that the flood has caused, she is ready to accept the situation and move on. Conversely, Blum presents elements of gender inequalities in the Chinese culture, where men engage in trade, while women are typically responsible for taking care of the basic needs of their families.

Conclusion

The two artworks have extensively focused on the key issues that affect societies, particularly in relation to the position and role of women. However, while Wessel seeks to change the conversation about women by describing them as strong, Blum advances the gender inequalities that exist in the Chinese society as well as other global cultures through the gender determined roles.



Works Cited

Aronson, Julie, and Marjorie E. Wieseman. Perfect likeness: European and American portrait miniatures from the Cincinnati Art Museum. Yale University Press, 2006.Print

Love, Richard H., and Carl W. Peters. Carl W. Peters : American scene painter from Rochester to Rockport. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press, 1999. Print