wBy: Jude Tochukwu Okonkwo ’17
When viewing works such as Van Gogh’s Starry Night or Michelangelo’s Pieta, we often forget to consider the historical background of the time and its implications on the piece in question.
On October 19, 2016, Dr. Susan Zwirn of Hofstra University challenged the senior and freshman classes to begin to think about artwork in the light of its historical context. Dr. Zwirn gave her presentation focusing on what art reveals about human nature and history. She challenged her audience to consider if art can impact how we view history or if art reveals the conditions of the time. Her questions certainly opened the minds of the audience to seriously consider these ideas that may have never occurred to them.
Dr. Zwirn used a variety of artwork to illustrate her message. She explored varying eras of human history, jumping between Picasso and Perugino. She treaded the many mediums of art, displaying cave art, photography, and oil paintings. She did a remarkable job stimulating the creativity of the students who found themselves fascinated by the emotive power of art to elicit a reaction from its audience. The students found themselves amazed by the deeper impact a piece could have if only they knew the subtle impressions history left on each work.
Many audience members felt that the experience had benefitted them immensely because of the deeper understanding and appreciation they drew from the presentation. One audience member, Ryan Smith ’17, expressed this newfound insight eloquently, saying, “Before the presentation, I saw art as merely a hobby or casual recreation. However, I came to understand now that art is a medium to convey the passions of an age. I was amazed to see the impact of different cultural and social movements of a time so ingrained in the artwork of its time.”
Smith’s comment echoes the sentiments of many audience members of their discovery of art’s foundational significance in human history. Students watched with awe at how the work of our forefathers could enunciate their stories. After the presentation, it seemed that every audience member realized the unspoken beauty of art and its hidden history.