“Love is the highest feeling a person can experience. We project this feeling to the Universe and back and we can give it to each other. When combined, Love becomes stronger and higher and creates a special connection between partners”

Love, the word that never wears out, the word that represents the feeling which becomes a part of our lives before we step into the world and continues being present in every chapter of our existence. It seems so clear to us at points and then goes back to being an unresolved mystery, and why is that? We have got this one word when speaking of so many emotions, experiences, people we meet, and the paths we take. One word that everyone knows, the feeling everyone feels, however, struggles to define. Love is what we feel for our family, for our friends, it is what we feel for the world that we live in and for the nature surrounding us. We can even feel love for unexplainable reasons in unexplainable situations, so how can one word envelop so much? The ancient Greek Philosophers were trying to deepen into it and came up with seven different types of feelings that all fall under what we call love.

The topic of love has also always been present in all the various types of art. Art is one of the highest means of expression, it gives space and time to represent all the shades connected to the emotion of love, especially through visual arts. Love, lovers, unrequited love, passionate love, sensual love have all been expressed through paintings and photography using colors and symbols to make the viewer feel, that is communication on a more profound level.

Eros 

The first kind of Love that is mentioned by the Greek philosophers is named after the Greek God of love and fertility “Eros”. This is the kind of love the involves passion, the kind that makes a person lose their control, the kind of love people refer to saying they are  “madly” in love. It entails physical attraction and following of the natural desires. Eros is one of the most powerful and intense forms of love, as it was defined, however closely related to romantic love that people refer to nowadays. It was and could be seen as something to be afraid of, because of the total loss of control, however, can also be seen as something beautiful if the partners are spiritually mature. Eros can eventually grow into and out of Philia, the affectionate type of love which I will talk about in a moment. Eros can be turned into the “true knowledge of beauty”, as Socrates once said since when it is combined with the deeper spiritual feeling it grows out of a spark into an eternal flame of two hearts.

Philia

Philia is affectionate love, it is based on spirituality and virtuousness. It is the one that is based on the partners or friends sharing companionship, mutual understanding, goodwill. This love is the one that is not based on or driven by strong physical attraction. Philia is characterized by loyalty and kindness to one another, as well as trust. That love requires the individuals to work on their personalities and achieve their highest form in terms of virtues, therefore producing this bond.

In the famous painting “Friendship” by Picasso we can see the bond between two people, however by hiding the genitals referring to the platonic, more spiritual connection rather than the one connected to physical attraction. It is also hard to tell the gender of the figures on the paintings, which was also one of Picasso's intentions to leave it to the viewers to see who they want to see.

Storge

A type of love that is found often between parents and children. It is similar to philia, however, based more on people being familiar and dependent or co-dependent, rather than their personality characteristics. It is the one that you start feeling natural, it is a potent one, creates the kind of bond where in many cases people are depending on one another’s presence and opinion. This type of love can be supportive and is very natural between the members of the family or very close friends.

The Storge kind of bond can be seen in “ Mother and Child” painting by Picasso. The tender love between the mother and her son, the mother figure as a creator and protector, however very gentle. Here we can see the sacred and the special connection.

Agape

Agape is the type of love that encompasses certain elements from the other types. It is selfless love, it is the one that you can feel for the whole of humanity. It is often referred to as love in its purest form, the universal love. It involves passion, but also respect and care. Here virtuousness overcomes the earthly instincts that humans have. It is the love that is patient and forgiving. This love is the one that we want to strive for, however, it requires us to work on ourselves in the first place, achieving high spirituality that we are ready to project to the world in this form of love.

One of the modern painters Robert Indiana has depicted love in a very interesting manner. He spelled it out on canvas with the letters taking different forms, just as love does, all connected to each other in harmony. He used the colors blue and green as a background to represent a landscape, nature, love encompassing all of the elements of our life. Love is spelled out big, emphasizing its importance.

Ludus

Ludus is the joyful, light, flirtatious type of love. It does not involve commitment, it is playful and in most cases considered to be temporary. It can take many different forms, but there is no deep long-lasting attachment, it is simply to have fun and not complicate the feeling any further. It is good when both partners are aware of the situation and can maturely handle it without getting too emotionally involved or attached. The problems may come if there is a misunderstanding, but if the partners know what they are going for, then it remains playful and purely entertaining.

In the painting By Renoir “Dance in the Country”, Ludus is shown in its very pure form, two lovers dancing with each other swiftly. They are taken by the music, by the warmth, and by each other company.  The painting shares with us the playful atmosphere that the lovers are in. All they have is this moment and that is all that matters.

Pragma

The love that is the opposite of Ludus, it is the one that comes from the partners' desire for a long-term commitment. It is more of companionship and the sharing of duties, goals, and common beliefs. The couple almost becomes a team, it requires maturity and patience that builds up through time. Both partners are equal and engaged in the relationship, such a bond is not easy, but can be achieved with the effort put equally from both individuals. In this type of love, you learn how to co-exist.

In this painting by Chagal “The Birthday”, where he depicts the individuals inspired by his own partnership, showing the strength and commitment of two lovers soon to be married. This love is sensual, takes the lovers off their feet, however, the way Chagal represented couples' resistance to gravity change shows the potency of their bond.

Philautia

The type of love we often do not ever think about is the love for ones’ own self. It can have two different sides, depending on how the person approaches it. One of the ways this love can be present is through knowing your worth, reflection, and learning. It is about respecting yourself and then projecting it to others, it is about loving yourself and then showing love to the ones around you. However, if this love for ones’ self is taken to another stage, where one starts blindly worshiping and putting themselves above, that is where arrogance may come into play and that is not the pure love we should strive to have for ourselves.

“The two Fridas” is a painting by Frida Kahlo where she shows her two personalities, the two identities that she has. One is sitting in a traditional dress from the place where Frida was born and the other is a more modern, radical Frida. This painting was inspired by her separation from her lover, however, we can sense the self-reflection and realization of the two selves that are both co-existing within her, accepting the strong and the vulnerable parts of one's personality. 

You can also check out our special collections to find more love inspirations for your space both at home and office! Not sure which artwork to buy, no worries, check out our rental art services, and if you need more help or special requests, feel free to book an appointment with us! 

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