Great art reacts to its time – but not only. It deals with fundamental questions that concern people in all eras. Kia Vahland, art critic and SZ editor in the opinion department, examines masterpieces of the past for their current content in her new book “Show your colors – old pictures, new times”. It shows: Pablo Picasso shows solidarity with war victims, Peter Paul Rubens paints his resistance against tyranny, Artemisia Gentileschi explores the dynamics of sexualized abuse. Above all, many works that made art history celebrate life; they find glimmers of hope even in difficult times. This can help to better understand the immediate present. And to gain something from her. The book was preceded by Kia Vahland’s volume “Viewpoints. Old Pictures, New Times”, also published in the Insel-Bücherei in 2018.
Kia Vahland on the relevance of famous paintings – culture
