Meet me at the museum...The unifying effect of art

Dear donor,

Thank you so much for your generosity ! We are very touched that you have chosen to support our cause.

In this report, you'll find two testimonials from caregivers that show just how important our work is for people with Alzheimer's and their loved ones. We also share an example of a commentary on a work of art that enables sufferers to stimulate their memory and exchange with their loved ones.

"I think it's a good thing he's getting his head out of his newspapers, which he cuts up and files away all day long. Discovering or rediscovering works of art can only stimulate his abilities. It gives me a breather, and I think it's essential that I'm not always around, because he relies entirely on me. I think it allows him to be a little more independent and not have me "on his back" all the time. Before confinement, we often went to exhibitions. We've been going a bit since the end of the confinement, but for me it's pretty heavy, because I have to keep an eye on him all the time.

"Collective activities with new people seem to me absolutely essential, just as much as with long-time devotees, even if exchanges are sometimes more difficult. The result is always joy, never failure. I find sports and art programs that stimulate the senses to be the most effective".

Below you will find an example of our approach to the discovery of a work of art:

This is a commentary on a painting by François André Vincent entitled "Renaud et Armide", painted in 1787:

"How do you imagine the relationship between these two characters?"
Identify the signs of closeness that unite them. Note the young man's position, which underlines his desire to embrace the young woman. Note the young woman's distress and distance.

Renaud holds Armide in his arms. His hand touches the young woman's breast. He wants to embrace her and bring his face closer to hers. The young man's whole body is directed towards her. This physical contact evokes a close bond of love between the two characters. Everything suggests that Renaud has feelings for Armide. On the contrary, she pushes him away, but gently and sadly, it seems. She pulls her face away from him.

Armide and Renaud are enemies. Renaud, a Christian knight, is in the Middle East fighting the Muslims to lift the siege of Jerusalem. Armide, daughter of the King of Damascus, protects her country and fights on the opposing side. They meet during a military confrontation between Christian crusaders and Muslims. Falling under his spell, Armide decides to spare him. To keep him, she bewitches him and takes him to her island, where they live a passionate love affair, as shown in François Boucher's painting Renaud et Armide, 1734, oil on canvas, Paris, Louvre: the couple are very much in love, surrounded by putti symbolizing love, exchanging passionate glances. The relationship between the two young people seems very different in the two paintings.

"A drama is playing out here that will separate the two lovers. The painter shows the signs of this here. What do you think it is?" Notice the threat coming from the landscape, and more specifically from the soldiers hidden behind the trees. Armide seems to foresee misfortune. Note her sadness and the tears streaming down her face. She has surrendered her arms, tramples on Cupid's arrows that trigger love and points one of them at the ground.

The scene depicted here by the painter takes place at the end of the story, in Canto XX of the novel La Jérusalem délivrée. Armide is very unhappy, as the painter points out. She can no longer stand and seems to be collapsing. Her clothes are crumpled. Her dress falls from her shoulder. One of her breasts is clearly visible. Her cheeks are red and her tears are flowing. Renaud looks worried. He surrounds Armide with his solicitude and restrains her fall.

The painter also uses the landscape to dramatize the scene. The landscape around the figures is dark and earthy. There are no plants and no sunlight.

"Armide wishes to kill herself. Why do you think this is? What is Renaud's reaction?" Share your point of view and invite participants to do the same.

The soldiers come to get Renaud to abandon Armide and return to the battle. He does just that. He will leave the island and return to the crusades on the side of the Christians. Armide is left full of anger and love for her lover. They will meet again on the battlefield. The Muslim troops are defeated, and Armide is forced to flee. She was torn between her love for Renaud and her anger at the man who had abandoned her and successfully fought his people. In despair, she chose to kill herself with an arrow: "May [my] homicidal plans at least close the wounds made by Love, and death will be a blessing" (excerpt from song XX).

The arrow in the young woman's hand is intended to pierce her breast. Renaud pursued her and stopped her in time. The young man demonstrated his love in spite of the princess's feelings of abandonment. Alessandro Tiarini, Renaud et Armide, circa 1620, Palais des beaux-arts, Lille.

"How do you imagine the story ends?"
Renaud declares his love for Armide and promises his beloved "I swear to restore you to the throne of your ancestors". He thus turns his back on his companions and his commitment to the crusade, as shown by his posture in the painting.

If you wish, we would be pleased to invite you to take part in our annual meetings or to receive your opinion and testimony about the disease, our experience and our association.

 We will post regularly on the website final reports of actions we have done with all the donations we receive.

Warmly

Cindy Barotte

Director of the ARTZ Association

For more information about the association here is the link to our website: www.actionculturellealzheimer.org