Aging as a Theme in Art and Education

National Art Education Association

Aging as a Theme in Art and EducationAuthor(s): Heta KauppinenSource: Art Education, Vol. 40, No. 4 (Jul., 1987), pp. 42-51Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193046 .

Accessed: 15/06/2014 17:51

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

National Art Education Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to ArtEducation.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.12 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 17:51:56 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=naea

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193046?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


F-':1

rt can assist in educating children and young people about aging and the elderly. Themes of aging in art portray central human qualities which can be interpreted to students

at all age levels. Conversely, approaching art through the universal human experience of growing old helps students in interpreting and understanding art. This article presents a few central themes about aging useful in analyzing and interpreting art works. The themes serve also an educational purpose in increasing students' awareness of the human qualities of aging.

Our culture embraces many negative stereotypes of the elderly which are accompanied by exclusion, rejection, injustice, and other consequences of prejudice. Much of this stems from the fear of growing old. Modern gerontology holds that the process of growing old is among the most profound and meaningful experiences we can have. Like adolescence, old age is a time of basic developmental changes in our lives and personalities. An intriguing result of our negative focus on old age is its coming back to harm young people after they themselves grow old.

Many of the experiences we have in growing old are positive and rewarding. Others are painful and destruc- tive. But virtually all of them have deep human significance. In growing old our noblest human qualities are put to the test. Courage to face a relatively unknown and threatening future, the capacity to hope for the best when things go wrong, the toughness to endure catastrophic losses, and the wisdom of long experience of life - these and other qualities of human spirit are more clearly seen in the faces, expressions, and gestures of elderly people than in any other age group. The

The theory of aging presented in this article is based on the book McKee, P. & Kauppinen, H. (1986). The Art of Aging. New York: Human Sciences Press.

42 Art Education July 1987



AGING AS A THEME IN

ART AND EDUCATION

Students tend to associate the elderly with old times, thus indi- cating that the elderly pass on tradition to the next generation. (Age 14)

Heta Kauppinen

Art Education July 1987 43



. I -. --- '"

Right: The interegeneration scene shows an old woman and her

granddaughter at the window. The , window divides the worlds, indi-

cating that both persons are in / transition from one stage to an-

other. (Age 13) Below: Small clay figurines form a scene in which the

elderly are socially integrated. 4 IrN- (Age 11) Below far right: The \ spontaneous drawing presents .

three ages of man. In their adoles- cent years, young peole become in-

terested in the stages of life: in growing up, maturing, and grow-

ing old. (Age 13)

-,ejb




power to express these qualities is what gives the aging human face and body an arresting visual interest. These human qualities have been explored with great sensitivity in art. In representing old age artists reveal their basic ideas and beliefs about it. When the artist represents the physical changes of aging, he equally and importantly characterizes cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual levels in aging. 1) Old Age As a Time of Transition Old age is a time of transition - of crossing over from one style of life to another, and from this life to the world beyond. There are many symbolic expressions of "this art - the half-empty glass, the elderly traveller in

7 . - .the middle of a bridge, or an elderly person at a door or window that opens on two worlds. (Toulouse-Lautrec: Portrait of His Mother: Ghirlandaio: An Old Man and His Grandson.) The light shed from the window or door symbolizes a transition to a greater level of awareness or the artist's belief in a life of the spirit which transcends this life.

The theme of the elderly person presented as a pilgrim-on-the-way conveys the understanding that in reality each human life must conform to the unceasing process of change which is inherent in all things. In art

this theme is expressed by a river or road as a motif in "the scenes where an elderly person is seen. (Manet: The Old Musician; Ghirlandaio: An Old Man and His Grandson). Attributes such as a pilgrim's staff, cane, pilgrim bottle, or a game of chess address the changes and reversals which accompany old age. (Van Gogh: An Old Man; Chagall: Above Vitebsk; Gauguin: Man with a Baton; Eakins: The Chess Players). When the elderly person is conceived as a pilgrim-on-the-way, such "changes are seen less as reversals of fortune and more as occasions for testing one's human spirit and as oppor- tunities for spiritual growth. 2) The Wisdom of Old Age J. An important mental activity characteristic of old age is

VVreminiscence about the past. Many of the most engaging S/images of the elderly in art evoke an unmistakable sense

of looking back, of thinking over one's life as a life review. (Rembrandt: His late self portraits and portraits of his mother) Life review enables the aging person to

" evaluate past events activities, successes, and failures within the context of the individual's whole life. In this

S way unresolved conflicts are often put to rest. Another mental strength an individual may develop in old age is

, \integrative understanding - the ability to transcend the tensions between such conflicting opposites as love and

"p j' restraint, life and death, and so on. In art integrative understanding is expressed in Nativity scenes, or in the




_ _ .___ N•... i, • :\

_ N

K

I, )

rc ~1

Ii. /2i /

/V !

Artists such as Picasso and .... "

Chagall have presented the ?. :

continuing growth in portraits /

/ of elderly persons with one /

blind eye. The theme is present !i in this middle school student /. I

[

]/

r

,/

work. (Courtesy of Constance ..-. • _ Hawkins) f'---•)•3\




theme of the Prodigal Son. Presenting the elderly person as a musician is another way this theme has been expressed in art, since ability to make music is a symbol of the ability to harmonize conflicting and discordant notes of life. (Degas: Rehearsal) The wisdom and knowledge the elderly have gained can become enlightment to other people. This is indicated in pictures which show an elderly person illuminated by a light. (Rembrandt: St. Paul; Durer: St. Jerome) 3) The Generations The generational nature of human life and the role of the elderly in passing on cultural forms to succeeding generations has been represented and interpreted in many paintings which depict the link between older and younger persons. In various ways elderly people transmit values, beliefs, and particular manners of living vital to the members of the next generations and to the progress of civilization. In paintings an elderly person can be shown engaged in a ritual of passage such as blessing, or the passing of cultural forms is shown as a simple gesture from the elderly person to the younger one. (Flinck: Isaac Blessing Jacob; Bellows: Elinor, Jean and Anna) The supportive and confirmative role of the elderly is expressed in pictures which show an elderly person as a teacher, advisor, or listener. (Daumier: Advice to a Young Artist; Velazquez: The Breakfast; Degas: Degas' Father Listening) Pictures of grandparents and grandchildren engaged in play, reading, conversation, or care convey a rich variety of emotions, feelings, and intergenerational behaviors. (Champney: Boon Compa- nions; Picasso: Reading; Vuillard: Le Repas; Vuillard: The Bench) Many paintings portray the generational link as being in the nature of exchange. As the elderly man or woman transmits some human meaning to a younger person, he or she also derives some important enrich- ment, support, or understanding in return. (La Tour: Joseph the Carpenter; Velazquez: Old Woman Cooking; Ribera: The Blind Old Beggar; Bastien- Lepage: Beggar) The generations are sometimes seen as representing the stages of life. In those art works the three ages of man - youth, middle-age, and old age ususally are presented. (Daumier: Third Class Carriage; Velazquez: The Water Seller of Seville; Giorgione: The Three Philosophers) 4) The Elderly Integrated or Segregated The social integration and segregation of the elderly are expressed in pictures representing people in social groups. Pictures of family gatherings convey strong and fulfilling relationships. (Bonnard: The Terrasse Family; Steen: The Eve of St. Nicholas) The elderly are shown participating in community activities or work representing integration with younger members of society.




(Woodville: War News from Mexico: Munch: Snow Shovellers) Some art works depict elderly people in posi- tions of social influence and power or convey that they can gain in authority. This is seen in pictures of elderly statesmen and religious authorities. (Titian: Doge An- drea Gritti; Johnson: The Funding Bill: Rubens: Old Cardinal) Segregation of elderly people is shown in scenes of generational alienation, or in pictures representing the elderly as an isolated or a subculture group. These scenes convey loneliness, poverty, illness, excessive physical decline, or other negative aspects of segregation. (Goya: Old Men Eating Porridge and Two Friars; Levine: Welcome Home; Van Gogh: State Lottery Of- fice) 5) Myths of Old Age Many common beliefs about old age have such strong and persistent influence that they may be considered myths. Mythical beliefs about old age live both in popular stereotypes and in the long tradition of ancient myth. Sometimes myths are negative and demeaning, sometimes positive and supportive. A powerful and cap- tivating image of aging is the myth of "Old Mother." The older mother is a woman who is aged, grey-haired, with features chiselled by maternal sorrows, sacrifices, and countless tears. She is serene, respectable, possesing wisdom and human warmth. This myth finds expression also in songs, literature, and media. It is confusing in times of equal opportunity and responsibility for sexes and confronts the image of an active and productive elderly woman with a life in her own right. A myth of "Grandmother's House" gives a nostalgic picture of the well-kept house with neat and cozy interiors humming with warmth and domestic work. The myth ignores many housing problems experienced by the elderly in urban residential environments, and nursing homes. "The Selfless Elderly" as a myth expects old people to be rather selfless, particularly toward their children and grandchildren. Grandparents must always be smiling and be ready with consoling nurturance and a soothing hug, their homes open at all times to receive unhappy children. The myth of "Harvest" or "Golden" years presents old age as a time of special fulfillment and reaping the rewards of life's work well done. Instead we often find anxiety when a person is separated from the familiar routines of work, living on substantially lower income, isolation from social interaction, and loss of the status given by work. The belief that "Old People

Become Children Again" may be based on our observa- tion of the elderly people who are childlike. Old people often express joy, playfulness, wonder, and freedom of spirit when they finally are free from such respon- sibilities as child rearing. In fact many old people can look at things freshly again with the creative, exploring eye of the child.

The role of the elderly in ancient myths is represented in a variety of mythical characters and depicted in a number of art works throughout the history of art. Saturn, associated with Cronus or Time is the aged ruler of the world. (Tiepolo: Time Unveiling Truth; Goya: Allegory of Spain and Saturn Devouring His Children) In a legend an elderly Satyr teaches us how to behave in a trustworthy manner. (Jordaens: Satyr and Peasants) Charon, the old ferryman, carried the dead over the river Styx to the underworld. (Crespi: Aeneas with Sybil and Charon) In the tale of Philemon and Baucis, we are told that those who are kind and merciful will be rewarded. (Rubens: Philemon and Baucis) Some mythic heroes were elderly, and the aged hero is usually known for wisdom and prophetic foresight. Witch lore and stories of wizards, astrologers, and fortune tellers are

areas in which mythical meanings survive. (Goya: Mirth; Wyeth: Astrologer; Hurt: Fortune Teller)

High school and middle school students can understand the messages about aging that are conveyed sym- bolically in works of art. Younger children can be led to a better understanding of elders by relating the child's own experience to those of the aged. A child can understand that the elderly person is living through one stage in life, old age, as the child is living through another, childhood. Both of them are in transition, moving on to a new world - the child to youth and the elderly person to even more advanced age or from this life to the world beyond. The elderly and the young alike face change, obstacles and difficulties, which can be oppor- tunities to become wiser and stronger. Old age, like childhood, is a time of testing. A child can understand that people at all ages look back at what has gone before; the old have a longer lifetime to review. Children need to appreciate the wisdom that comes with age. Elderly persons can offer good advice. They enjoy shar- ing their opinions and beliefs. They can explain values, manners, customs, and mores. They can recount how people lived in days gone by. The children can understand why some old people are a vital part of family and

In many art works, an elderly person as a traveller is a character expressing old age as a time of searching. This student presents an elderly person as a sailor. (Age 12) (Courtesy of Constance Hawkins).




\ - I

"'I

'N . /




community life while others are alienated and alone. Popular myths of old age are found in fairy tales,

stories, poems, and pictures. These myths can be com- pared with the realities of the contemporary world. In studying images of the aged in art it is important to lead children beyond the obvious physical changes and towards an awareness of the deeper, spiritual meanings of growing old. Works of art can help children and young people view aging as a positive universal human experience.l

Heta Kauppinen is Assistant Professor in the Depart- ment of Art at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Art Works Listed According to Themes of Aging 1) Old Age As a Time of Transition: Toulouse -Lautrec, Henry: Contesse A. de Toulouse-Lautrec, Museum of Albi, France; Ghirlandaio, Dominico: An Old Man and His Grandson, Louvre, Paris; Manet, Eduard: The Old Musician, National Gallery of Art, Washington; Van Gogh, Vincent: An Old Man, Private Collection, Lon- don; Chagall, Marc: Above Vitebsk, Museum of Modern Art, New York; Gauguin, Paul: Man with Cane, Petit Palais, Paris; Eakins, Thomas: The Chess Players, Museum of Modern Art, New York.

2) The Wisdom of Old Age: Rembrandt van Rijn: Ar- tist's Mother, Art History Museum, Vienna, Self Por- traits, National Gallery of Art and National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh; Degas, Edgar: Rehearsal, National Gallery of Art, Washington; Rembrandt van Rijn: St. Paul, Art History Museum, Vienna; Durer, Albrect: St. Jerome, Albertina, Vienna.

3) The Generations: Flinck, Gavert: Isaac Blessing Jacob, Rijks Museum, Amsterdam; Bellows, George: Elinor, Jean and Anna, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buf- falo, NY; Daumier, Honore: Advice to a Young Artist, National Gallery of Art, Washington; Velazquez, Diego: The Breakfast, Hermitage, Leningrad; Degas, Edgar: Degas' Father Listening, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Champney, James: Boon Companions, Smith College, Museum of Art; Picasso, Pablo: Reading, Museum of Modern Art, New York; Vuillard, Edouard: Le Repas, Philadelphia Museum of Art; The Bench, Private Collec- tion, Paris; La Tour, G,eorges de: Joseph the Carpenter, Louvre, Paris; Velazquez, Diego: Old Woman Cooking, National Gallery of Scotland; Ribera, Jusepe de: The Blind Old Beggar, Oberlin College, Ohio; Bastien- Lepage, Jules: The Beggar, Musee Marmottan, Paris; Daumier, Honore: Third Class Carriage, Collection O.

Reinhart, Winterthur; Velazquez, Diego: The Water Seller of Seville, Wellington Museum, London; Giorgione: The Three Philosophers, Art History Museum, Vienna.

4) The Elderly Integrated or Segregated: Bonnard, Pierre: The Terrasse Family; Steen, Jan: The Eve of St. Nicholas, Rijks Museum, Amsterdam; Woodville, Richard: War News from Mexico, National Academy of Design, New York; Munch, Edward: Snow Shovellers, Kommunens Konstsamling, Oslo; Titian: Doge Andrea




Gritti, The National Gallery of Art, Washington; Johnson, Eastman: The Funding Bill, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rubens, Peter Paul: Old Cardinal, Art History Museum, Vienna; Goya, Fran- cisco: Old Men Eating Porridge and Two Friars, Prado, Madrid; Levine, Jack: Welcome Home, The Brooklyn Museum NY; Van Gogh, Vincent: State Lottery Office, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.

5) Myths of Old Age: Tiepolo, Giovanni Battista: Time Unveiling Truth, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston;

Intergenerational exchange is presented in the appreciation of a child and the authority of the elderly. In the background the steps of wisdom con- tribute to the theme. (Age 8) (Courtesy of Constance Hawkins).

Goya, Francisco: Allegory of Spain, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Saturn Devouring His Children, Prado, Madrid; Jordaens, Jacob: Satyr and Peasants, The Royal Museum, Brussels; Crespi, Giuseppe Maria: Aeneas with Sybil and Charon, Art History Museum, Vienna; Rubens, Peter Paul: Philemon and Baucis, Art History Museum, Vienna; Goya, Francisco: Mirth, Hispanlic Society of America Museum, NY; Wyeth, N.C.: The Astrologer; Hurt, William: Fortune Teller, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.




Documents

Aging as a Theme in Art and Education