EPIDEMIC DEPICTIONS IN ART

SANATTA SALGIN BETİMLEMELERİ

Abstract

It has been determined that there are epidemics that have been going on for centuries with different rumors and stories. Since the creation of mankind, epidemics have been the biggest enemy that mankind has been battling and battered. These infectious diseases, which cause mass deaths, have created deep tragedies that cause anxiety, deep sadness and fear in the psychology of society. Such global crises have had a powerful impact on artists who reflect the critical imprint of their times in their art. Artists, who did not remain insensitive in the face of emotional depressions that deeply shook the society, tried to assert their existence through works that questioned and criticized the conditions of the period they lived in and created social awareness. In the visual arts, especially with the works that most effectively depict the social destruction of epidemics, these disasters have caused both mental and physical collapse in society. The Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, the pandemic of our era, is recognized as one of the most widespread international epidemics in human history. The effects of this extraordinary period on the art of painting are among the most important and remarkable developments of our time. The pandemic has left deep traces on the art market; while galleries and museums remain closed, phenomena such as economic difficulties and the rise of digital content have come to the forefront.In addition, the social and individual effects of the pandemic pushed many artists to produce works on the theme of the pandemic, and these works have gained an important place in the art world. As a result, epidemics and disease types that have taken place in art have been observed in almost every period of art, from past ages to contemporary interpretations, and have deeply affected the artist.