Elegy: Crying in the 20th Century

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is holding an exhibition "Elegy: Lamentations in the 20th Century.".

On display are works of art from the museum's collection, most of which were created between 1900 and 2000 by artists who either lived or worked in the United States for part of their careers. The chronological distance allows us to see how artists of the last century worked to keep events and states of being alive in people's memories, and to place the collective grief and trauma of our present moment in a larger context.

When art addresses grief, are they meant to be cathartic, allowing artists to express and viewers to experience strong emotions? Are they meant to be a catalyst, prompting action to rectify circumstances surrounding deaths that have been unnecessary, unjust and cruel? Do the works bring some sense of compassion and comfort? The purpose of this exhibition is to create a space for reflection on these powerful emotions and possible responses.

Prepared according to the materials of the website of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.