Beauty in all forms was an essential element of ancient Greek society, as exhibited through the appreciation of the human body through their art, and the ruminations of the human psyche through their philosophers.
The combination of these two topics led to one of the most complicated concepts in history: what is love? Thousands of years later, these concepts still ring true. Experiencing love has been universal since the beginning of time, and the plethora of ways in which it can be expressed makes it the perfect candidate for subjects in art. Due to the ambiguity of love, it is often easier to comprehend such a complex concept visually rather than verbally.
The second thought that comes to mind when pondering love is the very thing that Klimt and Canova chose to capture the beginning of: sex. While sex is not synonymous with love, a concept that many have struggled with throughout human history, it is synonymous with eros.
This concept plays a vital role in this particular strain of love and shows that love can be abused and twisted into something malignant and immoral.
Their frequent visits fueled their inspiration, painting the ladies of the night with enviably milky white skin and beautiful, delicate features. Syphilis ran rampant through the streets of Europe during the s, and with the cure being discovered only in the 20th century, it was the downfall of many Harris, Unlike the beautiful depiction of his contemporaries, Pablo Picasso diverges from the norm in his depiction of prostitution.
