PoetryFoundation.org describes ekphrastic poetry like this: “Ekphrastic is “description” in Greek. An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.” These original poems have all been inspired by the works of art shown with them. This process is a way to look at visual art more clearly because the act of writing connects the writer to the piece in a way that just looking at it doesn’t; the action becomes less passive.
Andrew Wyeth, Christina’s World, 1948, egg tempura, 2’8”x4’.
Egon Schiele, Dead Girl, 1910, watercolor and charcoal, 30.5 x 44 cm.
Salvador Dalí, The Great Masturbator, 1929, oil on canvas, 110 cm × 150 cm.
Edward Hopper, Hotel Room, 1931, oil on canvas, 5’x5’5”.
Rick Bartow, Nature Observed, 2017, limited edition drypoint etching, 6x10.5”
