Graduation Year
2026
Document Type
Senior Thesis
Degree
Bachelor of Arts
Primary Major
Visual Studies
Second Major
Psychology
Primary Minor
English
Second Minor
Clinical and Counseling Science
Thesis Advisor
Leslie Ross, PhD
Abstract
Many viewers are drawn to the period of modern art, as so many unique artistic movements arose under its umbrella. From Cubism to Expressionism, the freedom with which artists experimented with personal styles during this time period resulted in the creation of many remarkable works. This artistic freedom often extended into the social lives of artists, as many of them adopted unconventional bohemian lifestyles. The four couples discussed in this essay: Unica Zürn and Hans Bellmer, Francis Bacon and George Dyer, Oskar Kokoschka and Alma Mahler, and Jeanne Hubertene and Amedeo Modigliani, all had relationships that were fraught and strange, and affected the artistic work of all involved. These couples were tragic and obsessive, but their love survives on gallery walls all over the world. By examining different artists and their work in the context of their romantic relationships, this paper illuminates the effect that different types of love have on artistic creation.