As we head into the festive season and the familiar depictions of Christmas through decor and music
surround us, there is also a symbiotic relationship that may not be evidently clear. Artists and musicians
have inspired and even partnered in creative expression. There is a fusion of melody and visual
storytelling. Lyrics, paint and images produce a narrative we enjoy and welcome year after year.
Artwork can bring forth memories of a place and time, such as the artwork above. We can ‘hear’ the
carolers as we view the painting. Maybe not the same carol for us all, but depiction of music in paintings
offers a glimpse of a specific era and we have a muscle memory linked to it.
Since the Renaissance, artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci have utilized musical motifs and harmonious
principals in their compositions. We all know the old masters famous paintings – Johannes Vermeer’s
The Music Lesson, The Musicians by Caravaggio and Edgar Degas’ Orchestra Musicians.
Painters such as J.M.W. Turner interpreted the emotive qualities of music within his tumultuous
seascapes and swirling skies. While Wassily Kandinsky created visual art to mirror his experience of
hearing and seeing music with his synaesthesia.
In more modern times contemporary artists collaborate with musicians on creating multimedia pieces.
For example, creating album covers. One of the most iconic being Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the
Moon by Storm Thorgerson, who incidentally also produced covers for Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and
the Alan Parsons Project to name a few.
Surrounded by wintery and seasonal images that are so familiar it is easy to dismiss them, but their
creation and timelessness are an integral part of the season. Enjoy the artwork, the music and the
season’s festivities.

View more art by Dean Morrissey