“Sad Inheritance” (1899) by Joaquín Sorolla and “Christina's World” (1948) by Andrew Wyeth (1948)

At the beginning of the 20th century, a polio epidemic emerged in Europe. Polio was a disease that mostly affected the motor and immune systems of children and young people, and according to the religious beliefs of the time, it was assumed that it had its origin in the precocious and/or promiscuous behaviors of the parents. This idea arose from a degenerative theory, based on the fact that, with each new generation, society became more immoral and, therefore, new diseases appeared as a “divine punishment.”

In this case, the work is based on a real event that artist Joaquín Sorolla witnessed on the Cabañal beach in Valencia. Naked children with crutches, patients of the San Juan de Dios Hospital, try to bathe in the hope of finding relief in the warmth of the sea and with the only assistance of a friar. Inspired by the scene, Sorolla requested permission from the Hospital to portray them. Considering what was mentioned above, he titled his work “Sad Inheritance” with the (erroneous) belief that the illness they suffered was a consequence of the venereal diseases suffered by their parents.

Another work based on the same illness is “Christina's World” (1948) by Andrew Wyeth. This work shows a young woman lying in a field as she watches her home in the distance. At first glance, it seems to be a moment of reflection and nostalgia for her character as she rests on the ground. However, if you look closely, you can notice that the woman's legs and arms are too thin, a symptom of polio. The reality of the image is that the woman is lying down because she cannot stand nor walk on her own.

“Untitled” (1988-89) by David Wojnarowicz

Probably the most stigmatized epidemic in recent history was that of AIDS in the 1980s. Focusing on the United States, the LGBT community was probably the most affected, not only by the disease, but by the rejection and systematized discrimination that AIDS generated in society. It was for this reason that art and advertising became an important tool during this time to demand the investment of federal resources for research into a cure.

David Wojnarowicz, an artist who was directly affected by the virus, created one of the works that best portrays the emotional atmosphere that existed during the Reagan administration and the AIDS epidemic. Capturing a scene set up in a natural history museum with his camera, David shows buffaloes stampeding towards a cliff. The most popular interpretation attributed to him is that of the artist's furious acceptance of his own death, a destiny towards which he is increasingly approaching with greater speed and of which he cannot do anything to change. However, other critics point out that, since the buffalo is a representative animal of America, one can read in this photograph a critic made by the artist of the decadence of American society at a time when the country chose to ignore the pleas of a minority severely affected by the disease.

The coronavirus and the parody of art

The coronavirus pandemic is an event still too recent (and still ongoing) to point out which original works best portray the atmosphere we are experiencing. There is no doubt that at this time, as in past epidemics and pandemics, artists are already working on the perspective they want to leave to future generations about this historic event. But unlike other diseases that have affected in the past, the internet and art tools, especially digital ones, are within the reach of most people, generating a very particular phenomenon that only our current living conditions have permitted.

There is a phrase that says “you know that a work transcends history when it has been parodied on multiple occasions” and recent events have reminded us what those works are; Rembrandt's anatomy lesson, Frida's self-portraits, and even Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Last Supper", have all been edited by people from different parts of the world to adapt them to our context. Face masks, face shields, antibacterial gel, and even toilet paper and zoom video calls, are all elements that have been introduced in recognized works of art. And in addition to resulting in a comic image of our reality, they are in turn recording which are the peculiarities that best identify the experience of living through this pandemic .

Of course, it is essential to mention that other people have opted for mere recreation of the works as a pastime to do in confinement. Some motivated by leisure, and others as a result of museum dynamics (as in the case of the Getty Museum), these reproductions range from faithful imitations, with incredible attention to detail, to ingenious proposals that rely on the use of unexpected materials. And although all this material that has emerged has not necessarily been produced by artists, it is demonstrated again that art is always a refuge for humanity, even (and especially) in the most difficult conditions of our history.

Sources: The New York Times, Daily Art Magazine & el Universal.