Looking Back on Artistic Achievements amid the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic
Even in times of global distress, creative expression can come to our aid.
By Katie Domurat, Coordinator of Museum Interpretation, High Museum of Art
Things feel heavy right now with the coronavirus infecting more than 500,000 people worldwide, halting life as we know it, and sending all of us home to self-quarantine. Though it may feel like nothing good can come of this time, we want to show you how, historically, humanity has risen to the occasion even during scary and difficult times.
We are going to examine some of the great artistic achievements that came out of the years 1918 and 1919 when the Spanish flu (H1N1 virus) pandemic impacted more than five hundred million people all over the world. Things were looking grim then, but some great art historical movements still came to fruition during that trying time.
One of the great artistic achievements of 1919 was the opening of the German design school Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany, under the leadership of designer Walter Gropius (1883–1969). The Bauhaus strove to combine art with industry by providing students with a craft-based curriculum that allowed them to create artworks that were both beautiful and practical.
Two prominent artists that came out of the Bauhaus were Marcel Breuer and Paul Klee. These artists both had connections to the Spanish flu.
Marcel Breuer helped to create designs that would fight future outbreaks. After a significant outbreak of tuberculosis in 1882, and after the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, there was need for new Minimalist furnishing that could be easily cleaned and used. With these goals in mind, Breuer helped create Minimalist pieces using hygienic wood and tubular steel. Before this period, overstuffed furniture was popular, but it was found to hold bacteria. To combat that problem, these new Minimalist styles used aimed to use less fabric.
Paul Klee was one of the few people who contracted the Spanish flu and survived. Klee came down with the Spanish flu while serving in the military in 1918.
He wrote in his journal of his ailment: “I have clearly had influenza; the day before yesterday I had a fever and cough. But after a delirious night I was back to good health. It obviously wanted to break out but was not able to do so.”
He was fortunate to make a quick recovery, and he continued to make art for the rest of his life.
Another great artistic achievement that occurred during this time was the Dada movement in the United States. The Dada movement exploded onto the New York scene in 1913, peaking in popularity in 1918 and 1919 and remaining until 1923. New York Dada is characterized for its political nature of being antinationalistic, antiwar, and antibourgeois, and included new art forms of the time such as collage and ready-made objects.
Artists that worked within this movement were Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, and Francis Picabia. Members of this eclectic artistic group such as Guillaume Apollinaire and Morton Schamberg died from the Spanish flu, which inspired many to make art in their honor.
A personal artistic triumph in 1919 occurred when French painter Chaïm Soutine visited Céret in the Pyrénées in the south of France.
Here, Soutine began an impactful series of landscapes documenting the hilly terrain of the town. Soutine’s art patron sent him to this region as it was a more affordable locale than his previous home in the expensive city of Paris.
Soutine lived in this area until 1922 and painted around two hundred works on canvas of the surrounding scenery. These paintings are characterized by their frenzied brushwork and ominous feeling with dark skies and bowed buildings.
Now that you’ve read some inspiring stories of artists channeling their creative energies in times of panic, how might you want to express your feelings artistically?
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