And for the final course, Desert

Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Pelvis II” provided the starting point for an examination of differing views of the desert and lead to the conclusion that an artist’s experiences in the desert shape the way they depict it. The desert is typically imagined as a vast plane barren of life and beauty; however, for those who call the desert home it can be a place of beauty and fascination. In paintings the desert ranges from a symbolic backdrop to a worthy subject in itself. 

“Pelvis II” reflect the feelings O’Keeffe sees in the desert. O’Keeffe examines the form and shape of the bone, how the abstracted bone mirrors the desert, and how both the bone and the desert share a quiet grandeur. Other artists who live and work in the desert experience the hardship of living in a desert along with the richness of their home landscape. For these artists the desert isn’t a distant place, but home and the location of everyday life. These works may be examinations of the desert itself or of the desert as the place where everyday life goes on. Their depictions range from beauty in the desert to simply the background of life. For those unfamiliar with the desert it functions as a potent symbol. Artists interested in Biblical narratives or stories of saints use the desert as a backdrop for periods of trial and suffering. In these works the desert is not the primary figure, instead the emphasis is placed on the character struggling with their situation.

O'Keeffe Pelvis II 1944

 Oil on canvas,  Met Museum, Accession Number: 47.19

O’Keeffe’s abstracted depiction of a bovine pelvis mirrors the fascination she has with the desert of her New Mexico home. The dry bone and expanse of sky remind the viewer of the desert in a nonthreatening way. O’Keeffe’s abstraction of the pelvis examines the form of the bone and the way it interacts with its surroundings. This magnified yet isolated bone gives the viewer O’Keeffe’s impression of the desert: not an inhospitable wasteland but an intriguing space to be explored.

Peter Booth, Desert, 1985

 oil on canvas, Met Museum, Accession Number: 1986.219

This abstract representation associates the desert with negative feelings of suffering and harshness. The artist, Peter Booth, lived in Australia, and this work is informed both by his perception of Australia’s outback and by the symbolic meaning he wishes to convey. Booth takes the harsh conditions inherent in a desert and amplifies them by adding vicious abstracted forms to the landscape. Instead of painting a particular desert, Booth creates a symbol for the feeling he wishes to convey: this desert is a melding of the true Australian outback along with the messages and meaning Booth created. His experience of the desert is used to convey feelings of despair and isolation.

Unknown Artist, Nebamun hunting in the Marshes, c. 1350 BCE Fragment form tomb chapel of Nebamun, The British Museum, EA37977

Ancient Egyptian art includes the desert as its natural background. For the Egyptian people the desert was their home, there was nothing exceptionally harsh about it, and Egyptian art shows this perception. Egyptian life and their desert home are so intertwined that when present day viewers even look at an Egyptian motif, images of the desert are summoned to their heads. The sandstone brown background is the color the desert; scenes from daily routines displayed on this background evoke the feel of the desert without necessarily depicting the desert itself. Egyptians also show the abundance that is possible in the desert. Part of the tomb-chapel of Nebamun depicts a hunting trip by a river flushing game birds out of the tall reeds. The closeness of Egyptian culture and their land results in careful depiction of their surroundings representing both the hardships and abundances possible.

Alexandre Hogue, Dust Bowl , 1933,

oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum 1969.123

In “Dust Bowl” the desert itself is the subject of the work: not the desert’s beauty, or artistic forms, but merely its presence. This era dealt with the issue of the dust bowl in the American midwest and Hogue sought to emphasize the misery this situation created. Hogue experienced the desert as something that should not be there, something created by poor agricultural practices and mismanagement of the land. The use of hard lines, harsh light, and an absence of cool colors creates a severe depiction of the landscape. Although the desert is the subject it also is a symbol- one of failure to care for the land and difficult conditions for the people left in the desert. 

Camille Corot, Hagar in the Wilderness, 1835

 oil on canvas, Met Museum, Accession Number: 38.64

In this painting, the desert functions both as a setting and a symbol. The desert acts as the background of a story- the Biblical narrative of Hagar and her son after they have to leave Abraham. The rendering of the desert emphasizes the desperate nature of Hagar’s situation. She sits in the midst of an expanse sparsely littered with rocks and trees. In Biblical literature a desert often symbolizes trials or separation from God and Corot created a desert to fit both of these roles. Corot’s desert isn’t an examination of a real desert but a creation built to fit his artistic purposes. As an imagined landscape, this desert is not as harsh as an actual desert because it functions as a symbol. Once the viewer associates the landscape with their mental image of a desert they impart their knowledge of the desert to the image to supplement their viewing experience.

 Jean-Léon Gérôme, Leaving the Oasis, 1880s

 Oil on wood panel, Cleveland Museum of Art

Jean-Léon Gerome traveled to the Middle east and depicted scenes from the everyday that he saw there. He experienced bustling life in the desert and his paintings record the vibrancy possible in desert life. Although a visit to the desert may leave a traveler weary and overwhelmed by the expanse of sand and heat, Gerome was able to find areas of lush life. The mix of neutrals with cooler colors and almost photographic detail of “Leaving the Oasis” make the viewer curious and calls the viewer into the bustle of the scene rather than overwhelming them with the vastness of scorching Sahara. Rather than copying from stories of the desert, Gerome experienced it for himself and through his painting invites the viewer into the richness he encountered in the desert.

Cornelis Cort, St. Jerome Reading in the Desert,  1565

 Engraving, Met Museum, Accession Number: 17.50.16-168

Both Dutch art styles and depictions of saints rely on symbolic elements to convey messages through art, and “St. Jerome Reading in the Desert” is influenced by both of these traditions. The desert here is both a symbol of the difficult life St. Jerome lived and the literal landscape for some of Jerome’s travels. Cort’s dramatically craggy rock emphasizes the harshness of the landscape. While it is unlikely Cort ever visited the desert himself he still captures the positive aspects of the desert. Although the trees are a bit ragged there is life in them, and the view behind Jerome’s perch is picturesque. St. Jerome doesn’t appear tortured by his surroundings, rather he appears at peace with them. Cort shows that while the desert can be a challenging place it can also be almost peaceful in its dramatic isolated beauty.

~Rachel Bergman