Summary
Highlights
History is often written by the powerful, but art provides a medium for those who struggle against oppressive systems to tell their stories. This video explores how resistance is portrayed in art, examining various examples across different historical periods and cultures.
Resistance can be overtly depicted through scenes of combat and violence. Eugène Delacroix's 'Liberty Leading the People' (1830) vividly captures the July Revolution in France, showing Liberty guiding revolutionaries of all social classes. Similarly, the 13th-century Japanese hand scroll 'Night Attack on the Sanjo Palace' details a tumultuous battle, offering a cinematic view of warfare horrors.
Henry One Bull's painting 'Custer's War' (around 1900) provides a vital indigenous perspective on the Battle of Greasy Grass (Little Bighorn). This ledger-style artwork, created by a participant in the battle, humanizes the Lakota experience and challenges the dominant US-centric narrative, serving as a record of victory and an act of continued resistance against historical erasure.
Francisco Goya's aquatint series 'The Disasters of War' (1810-1820) documents the widespread suffering and brutality during Napoleon's invasion of Spain. Though not published until after his death, these 82 etchings serve as a powerful indictment of war's inhumanity, chronicling the violence, famine, and demoralization experienced by the Spanish people.
Kara Walker's 'Graceless Rebellion' (2001) is an installation that uses cut-paper silhouettes to depict a fictional slave rebellion. Drawing from 19th-century stereotypes of African Americans, Walker’s work challenges viewers to confront their own interpretations of race, violence, and history, inviting them to become active participants in unraveling these complex fictions.
Resistance isn't always overt. It can be architectural, like clandestine churches built by religious minorities or the survival of ancient synagogues. It can also be quiet and deeply personal, as seen in the drawings by Jewish children in the Terezin ghetto during World War II, which, despite the tragic circumstances, represented a form of enduring human spirit.
Resistance manifests in various forms—sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, literal, or abstract. It can be found in what is explicitly shown, what is absent, or a history hidden in plain sight. The video encourages viewers to reflect on what resistance means to them.