Melancholia and the Loss of Innoncence

By: Krissia Keck

Angels and Tomboys:Girlhood in 19th Century American Art is a current exhibit at the Newark Museum that takes a closer look at the female identity in the 19^th century, particularly young girls, through a series of paintings, sculptures and other works.

Abott Handerson Thayer, Angel. 1889

Abott Handerson Thayer's Angel is part of this exhibition. Thayer is considered a naturalist, and after moving to Dublin, New Hampshire, he became so tuned to nature that he would frequently sleep outside with his children. Although this painting seems to be of religious nature, Thayer never went to church, and thought that “God permeates nature”. His artistic mission was “unsullied purity; spiritual truth”. He often added wings to his portraits of women, not to necessarily label them as angelic, but to make them “creatures of all time”.

Angel depicts a very young and innocent girl (who happened to be Thayer's 11-year old daughter Mary) wearing white, with large wings, very fragile, made to look like an angel. This work was completed during the summer in which Thayer's wife Kate was diagnosed with melancholia (now known as depression). It is a contrast between the healthy youthful nature of his daughter, and the emotionally distant, aging and sickly state that his wife was in. The painting also captures the innocence of childhood, which Thayer felt could be corrupted by society. For this purpose, his children were home-schooled and introduced to his Emersonian lifestyle, and ways of thinking. They later followed in their father's footsteps and became artists themselves. 

Julio Gonzalez. The Montserrat. 1936-37, Sheet iron.

Spanish Artist Julio Gonzalez was a contemporary of Picasso. Gonzalez possessed an enormous passion for metals, which was actually a family tradition. His ancestry was famous for mastering bronze, and forged iron. Gonzales is noted to have started "the era of welded-metal sculpture", which was a key element in the further development of the Cubist, Abstract, and Surrealist movements. 

In The Montserrat, the artist depicts a peasant woman holding a child. This piece was commissioned by the Spanish government, and was exhibited side by side with Picasso's Guernica at the Paris Exposition Internationale in 1937. The figure stands heroically, and is a symbol of "Spanish populist will and resistance to Nazi intervention and aggression in the civil war". (Hunter, pg.231)

Montserrat is composed of very rigid lines, reminiscent of the works of fellow Cubists such a Picasso, which undoubtedly, directly influenced the artist. The figure looks heavy, and lacks the innocence of Thayer's Angel. The fact that the figure is made entirely out of iron gives it an added element of strength, and it embodies the industrialization that is taking place during this time period. The sickle in the figure's right hand shows that she is ready to fight whatever it is that is coming her way. The child in her arms resembles a shield, which seems to be protecting her not so much from what is to come, but from her fear of what is to come. Although Gonzalez did not consider himself a Cubist, he was an important instrument in this movement because he was able to reproduce the 2-D Cubist style of Picasso into 3-D sculptures using an innovative and modern way of welding iron. 

The best way to understand the contrast between Thayer's Angel, and Gonzalez's Montserrat, is through a third party. The movie Melancholia by Lars von Trier, addresses both pieces through the characters Justine and Claire. Justine suffers from depression or melancholia (much like Thayer's wife Kate). Her youthful nature in the beginning of the movie, and perhaps even her innocence are compromised by the devastating effects of depression. Claire (Justine's sister) on the other hand, is initially seen as a symbol of strength. She helps Justine through her depression, and fights the movie's impending doom until the very end. 

Left: Justine (Melancholia) Right: Thayer's Angel

Left: Claire (Melancholia) Right: Gonzalez's Montserrat

Although both artists created their works a couple of years apart, Thayer and Gonzalez were successful in representing two extremes of the female identity. Through Angel, Thayer shows the innocence and youth of a young girl, which will eventually be compromised as she continues to age. Gonzalez's sculpture shows that the innocence of his figure has already been compromised. His female figure has been exposed to a harsh reality in which her innocence must be eradicated, in order to face what is ahead of her.  

References:

Hunter, Sam, John Jacobs, and Daniel Wheeler. Modern Art. New York: Prentice Hall PTR, 2004. Print. 

Lee, Elizabeth.Therapeutic beauty: Abbott Thayer, tuberculosis, and angels of art. Hektoen International. November 29th, 2012.
< http://www.hektoeninternational.org/therapeuticbeauty.html>

Merymen,  Richard. Abott Handerson Thayer (1849-1921). Monadnock Art. November 29th, 2012.
<http://www.monadnockart.org/history-abbott-handerson-thayer.html>

Newark Museum. Angels & Tomboys: Girlhood in 19th-Century American Art. Newark: Newark Museum, 2012. Print.

Withers, Josephine. Julio Gonzalez. MoMA. November 29th, 2012. 
< http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=2231>