Landscape with a Calm (1650 - 1651)The J. Paul Getty Museum
Art can be a vehicle for great passions and tragedies, but there's also evidence to suggest that culture can be calming, consoling, and a source of great comfort.
For example, here, Nicolas Poussin's Landscape With Calm (1651) uses minute detail and vast perspective to give an impression of security and space. A reflective experience of the everyday. But it’s not just the content of paintings which can bring contentment. Read on to discover 4 ways that culture can bring you real-world comfort...
Vincent van Gogh painting sunflowers (1888) by Paul GauguinVan Gogh Museum
1. The Healing Power of Art
Studies at Harvard have shown that creative activities like painting can have positive effects on health and well being.
Drawing and painting was found to stimulate memories in Dementia patients, and to have a soothing effect on the bodies and minds of those struggling with anxiety, depression, and even cancer.
It seems that the popular image of the "tortured artist" isn't quite the whole truth.
Guitar and Newspaper (1925) by Juan GrisMuseo Reina Sofia
2. Music and the Mind
It's no secret that music can have a profound effect on our emotional state. But did you know that it can be actively used as treatment for conditions like PTSD?
Certain calming music has been proven to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which soothes the "fight-or-flight" effect of trauma. Medical journal, The Lancet, also notes that music can be a powerful treatment in post-operative recovery. Melody is a medical marvel!
BANKSY, Crayon for Closure, Kolodny by BanksyRandom Act Projects
3. Peace and Solidarity
"Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable", said the Mexican poet and academic, Cesar A. Cruz, a line later repeated by British street artist, Banksy.
Culture and art - Cruz, Banksy and many others argue - can carry messages of hope to those who are vulnerable, reminding people of shared human experience and solidarity, even in times of difficulty.
Street Story Quilt (1985) by Faith RinggoldThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
4. Art and Home
Some researchers and authors, like Dr. Imogen Racz, draw parallels between culture and the home. The creative activity involved in making or responding to art is, in some ways, linked to the idea of constructing our living space.
In a contemporary context, art and culture helps communities and individuals to feel safe and secure in expressing themselves and their beliefs, thereby building a greater sense of community, home, and comfort.
Moonrise over the Sea (1822) by Caspar David FriedrichAlte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Of course, soothing music and calming landscapes can have a comforting effect, but the research shows that comfort and culture are even more inherently linked. Discover more about the Culture of Comfort.
