Erica Gamester - Theological Aesthetics

"Creation and love correlates… 
The love of the artist is different from that of the moral, the religious, man. One must not expect of the artistic an extended hand, or even the desire to better his life. On the contrary, it sometimes seems as though the love of many great artists was exhausted in their work, so there is none left for their own lives. In spite of everything, the fact remains that genuine altruism, genuine love, genuine pity, are the driving forces of all great art. In that love meet life and work, the old work of human existence, and the new work of the work of art. For the work of art is a creation, and there is no creation without love. Thus, when we recognize the "creation" of man features of the creation of God, it was also an incorporation of the love of man into the love of God, in which it rests." 
(Sacred and Profane Beauty - page 280)



In this portion of the reading, Van der Leeuw discusses how love and creation coincide. He states that there cannot be creation without love, yet love can spark creation. Van der Leeuw uses an artist as a metaphor for the love they exert into the creation of their own pieces. In the context of religion, love perpetuated by religious followers maintains this theorized notion of all-knowing, all-powerful deity. This relationship is reciprocated as God creates mortal life with love. According to this concept, God created human life with love, marking the origin of art. Therefore, God is the ultimate artist.

The artist Vincent Van Gogh most likely did not view art in this fashion. Over his lifetime, he created over 2,000 works of art, with oil pastels being the most commonly utilized medium. He suffered from mental illness, plagued by recurrent psychotic episodes and financial instability. While his specific artistic intentions were vaguely discussed, Van Gogh indubitably had innate artistic tendencies. However, he sold artwork in attempts to make ends meet and afford his crutches, specifically smoking and drinking. His artwork inspired numerous artists after his passing, allowing love and creation to permeate modern culture. However, this is an example how love does not always originate from creation.

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