Artistic masterpieces hold universal and timeless messages
There is always something rapturous about walking through an art gallery, sort of like being invited into a wondrous realm where a kaleidoscope of daydreams is on display. Since time immemorial, mankind has always held artworks in high regard, commissioning pieces from proteges or established artists and exhibiting them proudly for public admiration.
Artworks have a transformative power over our souls, inviting us to contemplate and savor their ingenuity, passion, profoundness and universality. Philosopher Alain de Botton put it so wonderfully: “Confronted by the many failings of our real-life communities, art gives us the option of assembling a tribe for ourselves, drawing their members across the widest ranges of time and space, blending some living friends with some dead authors, architects, musicians and composers, painters and poets.”
Prominent museums and art galleries across the globe regard artworks as treasures, diligently acquiring, restoring and displaying them for masses of art aficionados. For example, lovers of botany would surely appreciate the glorious work of Dutch still-life painter Rachel Ruysch, who specialized in painting flowers and invented a unique artistic style that transformed her career. Her splendid painting “Flowers in a Glass Vase with a Tulip,” displayed at the National Gallery in London, reminds us of moments of beauty and romance found in the mundane. The collective beauty of various flowers coming together in one bouquet infuses us with an appreciation for various types of beauty and teaches us to avoid needless comparison. The tender care of its owner, hinted at by the lingering dewdrop, also brings our attention to the importance of the daily nurturing of objects or people we cherish.
Acclaimed French painter Jean-Honore Fragonard produced more than 550 paintings on the themes of pastoral beauty and romance. “The Love Letter,” which is currently displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, depicts a lady who looks joyful as she holds a love letter and a small bouquet of blooms. The scene encircling her is stroked with brown tones, depicting the mundanity of everyday life until love appears and brightens up the painting with a gorgeous burst of color. We come to appreciate the importance of social connections in our lives and how nurturing love should be seen as a work of art in itself.
Works of art have the power to convey a mixture of emotions and messages that we all share, no matter our culture or geography. Part of their beauty lies in deciphering these unspoken messages in a way that fits our own life narratives. Ultimately, artworks can help us find solace and sublimity, guide us toward our aspirations, soothe our melancholies, help us empathize with humanity’s tragedies and enrich our self-understanding. Moreover, the subtle messages they convey hold within them subliminal concepts of love, hope, community, dreams, beauty, nature, peace and cultural understanding — all of which are a vital part of today’s globalized world.
One venue that is currently attracting tens of millions of multicultural visitors is Expo 2020 in Dubai. In addition to the spectacularly designed pavilions and fascinating cultural shows, there is the Expo 2020 Dubai Public Art Program. Artist Hamra Abbas has especially enthralled visitors with her original and evocative floor sculpture named “Garden.” This unique creation depicts exquisite Mughal gardens — lush, untroubled and magical. On a more profound level, it also hints at humanity’s coexistence with the natural elements of our world, letting the waterfalls, trees and flowers flourish undisturbed by selfishness or greed.
As Dubai Art Season kicks into action at this time of year, we can savor the beauty of artworks created by many Middle Eastern artists. One particular artist’s work is too captivating to miss. Ziad Dalloul is a Paris-based Syrian artist whose works have been exhibited in the British Museum in London, the Arab World Institute and the National Library of France in Paris, the Orestiadi Foundation in Italy and the Salvador Allende Solidarity Museum in Santiago, Chile. Dalloul is exceptionally adept at fusing oriental and occidental visions — an amalgamation of his own life — depicting scenes of his birthplace in Syria. His painting, “Un matin d’ete,” encourages us to carve out restorative time in nature to heal our weary souls. We are nourished by the brooks, rustling leaves, smells and colors, and unprocessed foods. It is an invitation to return to our essences, where we will always find a haven.
There is much to appreciate in artworks, as they teach us essential and eternal meanings in their own beautiful ways. On top of that, they bring humanity closer together to revel in those universal emotions and thoughts that make life worthwhile.
Published in Arab News.
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