Hand With Reflecting Sphere Essay

Spontaneous, Creative, Stream-of Consciousness, Surreal; all words related to literature and artwork of the Modernist era. In the early twentieth century, society reacted to the death of 38 million soldiers caused by WWI, along with the growth of industry and the fleeting essence of natural beauty. This reaction is best known as Modernism, encompassing the anxiety and anguish of the period following the rapid metamorphosis of society. Modernism describes many ideas of great significance, yet one reactionary ideal stands out the most. The concept of existentialism was a driving force behind the Modernist front, emulating the chaotic and mediocre path humanity was doomed to follow. Specifically, the principle tenets of existentialism include the

Artists in the Modern period illustrated the existential idea of individuality through visual imagery to convey the power of man and the fallacious influence of the external world. For instance, M.C. Escher’s noteworthy piece, Hand with Reflecting Sphere, epitomizes the idea of self-derived identity. The message of the piece revolves around the idea that when searching for meaning, one should look within. Specifically, this is seen in the imagery of the reflecting sphere, for as Escher gazes into the sphere to discover his purpose, he simply sees himself. Moreover, the artistic element of depth amplifies the effect as the highlighted image is the one of the author, further illustrating how, at a primal level, the one unwavering source of meaning is the spirit of the person itself. In addition, M.C. Escher implements the aesthetic quality of contrast, by overlaying the detailed reflection on top of an unrefined background. Furthermore, this bolsters the message, as the importance of reflection is shown to be greater than the mundane outside