Are shadows seductive nothingness or images of repressed violence?
In short: In this presentation, Professor William Sharpe investigates the intricate symbolism of shadows in art, questioning if they signify peril and mortality or the essential life-force of the objects casting them.
Professor Sharpe untangles the layered significance of shadows by tracing their use by artists from ancient times to the modern era. The discussion moves from literary examples in the works of Charles Dickens to visual explorations by masters such as Van Eyck, Masaccio, Leonardo, Munch, Picasso, Sargent, and Hopper.
By investigating these shadows, the lecture considers whether they serve as truth-telling images of repressed sexuality and violence or merely as empty voids.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Grasping Shadows: The Dark Side of Painting - William Sharpe
- Also: Grasping Shadows: The Dark Side in Painting
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