The Visualization of Love

Love is something that is universally coveted by all people. No matter the labels given to or adopted by some, or regions of different cultural backgrounds that people hail from, everyone craves love. It is an intense, raw emotion that binds and brings people together. It is a feeling that has so many words to describe it yet, simultaneously, it is indescribable. Because of this, love has been a trait of human nature that’s been defined and romanticized in many forms, including paintings.

The most common form of love seen in paintings is portrayed by couples. Oftentimes couples in art are depicted expressing their love physically. This depiction can be something as simple as holding a loved ones hand or kissing them. Sometimes it can even be shown in explicit ways by illustrating sex. But love has another layer to it beyond physicality that people cannot help to fantasize.

Sometimes what people want is to spend quiet moments together with their loved one, not worrying about the outside world.

Sir Edward Burne-Jones illustrates this in his “Phyllis and Demophoon” painting. Here we see a woman donning a lustrous green gown as she leans on the shoulders of her lover, staring into his eyes. The light pink color of their lips and ear lobes alludes to the vulnerable element of the painting. The use of the spring season, evident by the vibrant colors used for the greenery and blossoming flowers, also hints at the birth of new love. The softened sun reflecting a tender light against the protagonists skin also assists in highlighting the equanimity of the images mood.

Phyllis and Demophoon, 1870. Artist: Sir Edward Burne-Jones

Betty-Anne McDonald‘s “Family Love” painting captures familia love through the use of an emperor penguin family. The colors used here aren’t as saturated, with white and yellow not being as bright. This negates the intensity that is often associated with love. Instead it provides warmth to the painting that creates an amiable, tranquil feeling. Doing that reflects another side of love that is often present in family when

Photograph by Martin Wettstein

Love can also be expressed for one’s community. There are many paintings where the artist highlights their intense love for their community, such as their culture or a movement that encapsulates a message they hold dear to them. Doing this sometimes helps to bring awareness to an issue these sorts of communities are facing, again highlighting the love the artist had for their peers.

Through these artful translations of love, we can see how there are a multitude of ways of expressing love, and a plethora of people who can receive it.