In this brief capsule, Dania Santos Ramírez, coordinator of the Visual Arts degree at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, explores how epidemics have been depicted in visual culture at three pivotal moments. She begins with 19th‑century European cholera caricatures that used humor and critique, citing Anthony Werth’s painting “El entierro prematuro,” inspired by an Edgar Allan Poe horror story. She then highlights how personal encounters with disease shaped the work of major artists: Edvard Munch (known for “The Scream”) survived Spanish influence, Gustav Klimt contracted illness yet continued to produce some of his most celebrated pieces, and Egon Schiele, while ill, created numerous self‑portraits and the painting “La familia,” which foreshadowed his own death. Finally, she connects these historical precedents to the COVID‑19 pandemic, noting social‑media trends of stay‑at‑home self‑portraits and creative reinterpretations of classic artworks. She concludes by urging viewers to document and express their pandemic experiences through images, strengthening their creativity and visual storytelling.
