The Representation of Disasters and Crises in Arts

We live in a time of crises. As most people around the world, I have also been indirectly and directly affected by a variety of catastrophes that have occurred around Central Europe over the past three years, including the earthquake in Turkey this year, the conflict between the Ukraine and Russia in 2022, and the COVID-19 pandemic that lasted from 2020 to the end of 2021.

Various calamities have been portrayed by artists throughout history in a variety of ways and visual metaphors. How do arts deal with disasters? What impact may art have during a crisis?

Here we collect some artworks dealing with disasters:

1. The Raft of the Medusa

The Raft of the Medusa was painted by Théodore Géricault, a French Romantic painter, in 1818–1819. It depicts the aftermath of a shipwrecking disaster in France, where the survivors boarded a raft but died of starvation before being rescued at sea.

Géricault spent several years researching the tragedy. He interviewed the survivors and sketched the bodies of the living and the dead. The process required over 100 studies that moved through each episode of the story.

The shipwreck had a scandalous political story behind it. The incompetent captain, who had been appointed because of his connections to the Bourbon Restoration government, fought to save himself and senior officers while abandoning the lower ranks to die. As a result, the government was hostile to Géricault’s depiction of the raft and its occupants.

This painting tells us not only about the struggle for human survival but also about how a corrupt system can only lead to calamity.

2. The Great Wave Off Kanagawa

The Great Wave, also known as Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), was created by a Japanese artist, Katsushika Hokusai. This is a woodblock print from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) .

Although the wave resembles a tsunami, it is not one. The wave is so enormous that it might strike the boats with all of its force, and make Mount Fuji in the distance look so small. The wave is rendered in a striking and dramatic fashion.

This print becomes popular imagery that can be found in everything from album covers to tattoos. Many people view this artwork as a reminder of the power of nature, while others see it as a metaphor for the fleeting nature of human life.

3. The Disaster of War

Francisco de Goya, a legendary Spanish painter, created a complete set of The Disaster of War. This artwork depicts the horrific events of the Peninsular War of 1808–14 between Spain and France under Napoleon Bonaparte. It comprises more than 80 prints, tells about  the effects of war, the Madrid famine of 1811–12, and the disappointment at the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. The work was created between 1810 and 1820 but was not published until 1863, thirty years after Goya’s death, due to its criticism of both France and the restored Bourbon monarchy. The etchings represent subjects including violence, hostilities, famine, heroism, and vengeance.

4. Lighthouse

Ludovic Nkoth, a Cameroonian artist, depicts the immigration issue in his work Lighthouse. Hundreds of people were forced to cram into the ship and swim in the open sea in search of safety.

The artist uses powerful dabs of blue for portraying the ocean and sky, and deep colors for people. This painting suggests a human tragedy, in which people are compelled to relocate to an unknown place in order to survive.

5. Plastic Ocean

Tan Zi Xi, a Singaporean artist also known as MessyMsxi, creates a work that draws attention to concerns about ocean pollution. 500 kg of unwanted ocean plastic (over 26,000 pieces) were gathered, cleaned, and organized by Tan Zi Xi. The outcome is an incredible art installation. Walking beneath the pieces of art gives spectators the impression that they have gone underwater. This work gives perspective on what plastic pollution looks like through the eyes of the creatures that live in the ocean.