An analytical study on a selection of the artist Esmat Dawestashy's artworks during Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic in Egypt

Abstract

Artists were not immune to the perils that beset humanity, as pandemics afflicted artists everywhere, including the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic that afflicted the entire world. Egyptian painters like Esmat Dawestashy established a precedent for the relationship between art and the environment. Hence, the analysis of several of Esmat Dawestashy's artworks revealed that he was influenced by a cultural heritage that enriched his artwork with different painting styles. The research question is: what are the symbols and motifs that Esmat Dawestashy used in paintings to represent the Coronavirus pandemic? Esmat Dawestashy's artwork was examined for the most important artistic features. The researcher used Howard Risatti's criticism theory, which consists of three basic stages: descriptive analysis, form analysis, and meaning analysis, to analyze a selection of the artist's works on the Coronavirus Pandemic in order to identify the elements and motifs that inspired the artist Esmat Dawestashy to express the Coronavirus Pandemic through painting. Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, a selection of Esmat Dawestashy's works has been studied. The selected artworks discussed how the pandemic is depicted, as well as the events that influenced the artwork, such as the quarantine, communication, and the artist's optimism about the end of this calamity. The researcher presented the study findings; especially, the creative qualities of artist Esmat Dawestashy's work during Coronavirus pandemic which led to the research results.