2020-08-01 Artists & Illustrators

28 Artists&Illustrators

ART HISTORY

N

everbeforeinthehistoryofmankindhaveso

manyartists,simultaneouslyyetapart,spentso

muchtimealonewiththeirthoughts.Theglobal

lockdownthathasbeenenforcedoncountriesacross

theglobeoverthelastthreemonthsasa resultofthe

Covid-19pandemichasproduceda trulyunprecedented

setofcircumstanceswithwhichwehavehadtocontend.

Andwhilesomeartistswerequicktospeakdirectlytothis

unusuallycaptiveaudience– fromDavidHockneysharing

quaintiPaddrawingsfromhisNormandyhometoGrayson

PerrybringinghismadcapbrandofEnglisheccentricityto

theforeonChannel4’sGrayson’sArtClub– thereal

creativefruitsofthisenforcedperiodofintrospectionand

theeffectsit willhaveonthewaysinwhichwecreateart

willnottrulyemergeformonthsandyearstocome.

Onethingis certainthough:whateverthecircumstances,

anartistworkinginisolationis farfroma 2020invention.

Arthistorybooksarefilledwithfascinatingandvaried

examplesofpainterssketchingouta solitarypath,

whetherbychoiceorotherwise,andtheirlivesandworks

giveusa greatpointertowardswhatmightlieahead.

Atitsmostbasic,artistshavesoughtoutwaystowork

alonesotheycansimplygetthingsdone– anddonewell.

PhotographsaboundofPabloPicassolarkingaboutwith

hisfamilyonthebeachesofFrance’sCôted’Azur,yetthe

realitywasfarlesssociable.TheSpaniardbelieved

nothingcouldbeaccomplishedwithoutgreatsolitudeand

hewassingle-mindedandincrediblyselfishinhisneedfor

quietdayslockedinhismanystudios.Youdon’tproduce

50,000artworksonyourwaytobecomingtheworld’s

mostfamousartistbybeinga devotedfather,afterall.

YetwhilePicassowasratherunrelentingtosaythe

least,otherfamousartistsweremoreacceptingabout

The

Art of

being

alone

Paul Cézanne,

Still Life with

Apples and a Pot of

Primroses, c.1890,

oil on canvas,

92.4x73cm

The global lockdown has left artists stuck

indoors like never before. STEVE PILL looks

back at art history for clues of how to handle

the situation – and where we go next

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART. BEQUEST OF SAM A. LEWISOHN, 1951