Photographer and director Glen Luchford reflects on ‘The Fighting Temeraire’, an artwork by William Turner which resonates with him in this time, which he shares with the Gucci Community. “As a teenager I visited The National Gallery, and became transfixed by this painting. It has a real heart shattering sadness to it. It’s not my favourite painting. But it’s so profound, that whenever we go through a crisis it reappears in my dreams, full of Freudian meaning. No one painting, film, or piece of literature ever captured so perfectly the transition from aged beauty to the banality of modern life, for me. When Covid-19 first took hold I found myself dreaming of the old ship. Back to haunt me in my dreams. But as the days have passed I’ve started to see her in a new light. The transition from old to new suddenly seems inspiring. Our lives have spun so far out of control, that the simplification of sitting at home with family, staring at a painting, reading a book, playing games, re-learning the art of conversation is something to be cherished. And from that will emerge great art and creativity.
Some of us won’t recover, others will experience poverty and hard times, but all of us will have learnt something valuable, and personally I’m feeling excited about the possibilities. I’m ready for the new ship, or maybe to go back to the old one.”
The Gucci Community stands behind aiding those most vulnerable in this crisis, join by donating now to the United Nations Foundation’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund in support of the World Health Organization, and locally with Intesa Sanpaolo’s For Funding campaign which supports the Italian Civil Protection Department.
‘The Fighting Temeraire’, 1839 (oil on canvas), Joseph Mallord William Turner / National Gallery, London, UK / Photo © copyright Bridgeman Images
