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The beauty of melancholy

  • Writer: Kavieng cheng
    Kavieng cheng
  • Mar 5, 2023
  • 3 min read

During I Working on the Abandoned Christmas Tree project, I found that there are a word I really interested on .

The beauty of melancholy refers to a type of aesthetic experience that is rich in emotion and depth. It is not simply about sadness and sorrow, but rather a complex emotional experience that can bring profound feelings and insights to people. In literature, art, film, and other fields, the beauty of melancholy is often portrayed and explored as a valuable form of artistic expression. In the expression of the beauty of melancholy, people can see reflections on life and humanity, and also feel a contemplation of the contradictions and complexities of the world. The existence of the beauty of melancholy reminds people to pay attention to their own emotions and thoughts, to explore and understand the depth and complexity of life.


The British poet Byron wrote in his "Manfred": "Melancholy is the nurse of wisdom." If the wisdom of the average person lies in being able to cope with and eventually reach the end of the entire process of survival with willpower, intuition, and rationality, then true wisdom is the understanding of the limits of human cognitive abilities, the comprehension of the infiniteness of the world and the finiteness of life, and the deepest understanding of the nature of life and existence.


I believe that melancholy is a kind of mental loneliness, and loneliness is a kind of beauty. It often stays in the depths of the heart, as a spiritual height, and is unaffected by the noise and waves of the world. It can bring me a kind of intoxicating spiritual pleasure, and in the vague process of contemplation, I often have a heartfelt admiration for kind and sincere things. Certainly, there are many examples of artwork that express the beauty of melancholy. Here are a few examples:

  1. "The Scream" by Edvard Munch - this iconic painting captures the intense emotional distress and despair that can be associated with melancholy.

  2. "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber - this orchestral piece is often described as one of the saddest pieces of music ever written, and it evokes a powerful sense of melancholy and introspection.

  3. "Ophelia" by John Everett Millais - this painting depicts the tragic character from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" floating in a river, surrounded by flowers. The serene and peaceful scene belies the underlying melancholy and madness that Ophelia experiences.

  4. "Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert - this novel tells the story of Emma Bovary, a woman who becomes disillusioned with her mundane life and seeks escape through romantic affairs and material possessions. The novel's melancholic tone highlights the emptiness and futility of Emma's pursuits.

  5. "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger - this classic novel follows the experiences of a young man named Holden Caulfield, who is struggling to find meaning and purpose in his life. The novel's melancholic tone captures the angst and confusion of adolescence, and has resonated with readers for generations.

  6. "Madame X" by John Singer Sargent - a portrait of a woman in a black dress, looking away from the viewer with a melancholic expression.

  7. "The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dali - a surrealist painting featuring melting clocks and a barren landscape, evoking feelings of timelessness and melancholy.

  8. "The Scream" by Edvard Munch - a famous painting depicting a figure screaming in anguish, conveying the intense emotional turmoil of the artist.

  9. "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber - a classical music piece known for its hauntingly beautiful melody, often associated with feelings of melancholy and loss.

  10. "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray - a poem that reflects on the beauty and dignity of ordinary people's lives, while also acknowledging the inevitability of death and the passing of time.

 
 
 

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