Desperation Collection

Gin Lane, 1751. Artist: William Hogarth
Gin Lane, 1751.The scene is the St Giles slums. A child falls to its death from the arms of its drunk mother who sits with ulcerated legs. A skeletal figure holds an empty glass

The burial monument of the archduchess Marie Christine by Antonio Canova, in the augustinian church in Vienna Funerary Monument Neoclassicism, Nineteenth century, 19th century, Europe

A Mermaid. Artist: Waterhouse, John William (1849-1917)
A Mermaid. Found in the collection of Royal Academy of Arts, London

Advert / Frys Chocolate
Frys Five Boys chocolate - Desperation, Pacification, Expectation, Acclamation, Realisation - Its Fry s!

The New Jerusalem, c1900. Christ, who has redeemed the world through his Crucifixion, waits at the entrance to The New Jerusalem to welcome the saved

The Last train from Bangor, Northern Ireland Date: circa 1906

Christ with Arms Folded, 1656-1661. Artist: Rembrandt van Rhijn (1606-1669)
Christ with Arms Folded, 1656-1661. Found in the collection of The Hyde Collection

Gin Lane, February 1, 1751. Creator: William Hogarth
Gin Lane, February 1, 1751

The Laying in the Tomb ( The Deposition / The Entombment ), 1602-16044. Artist: Michelangelo Caravaggio
The Laying in the Tomb ( The Deposition / The Entombment ), 1602-1604. Mary of Clopas with her arms raised; Mary Magdalene with bowed head; Nicodemus grasps the legs of the dead Christ

Le Coup de Lance, 1620. Artist: Peter Paul Rubens
Le Coup de Lance, 1620. At the Crucifixion the soldier pierces Christs side to make sure he is dead. At bottom right, the Virgin Mary and St John the Apostle turn aside in despair

Saint Thecla Praying for the Plague-Stricken, 1758-59. Creator: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Saint Thecla Praying for the Plague-Stricken, 1758-59

Study for Deserted - a Foundling (oil on canvas)
2956891 Study for Deserted - a Foundling (oil on canvas) by Holl, Frank (1845-88); 55.25x76.2 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: The scene is Bankside, the London docks)

The Battle of Pacocha; Action between HMS Shah and Ameth
Engraving showing the battle between HMS Shah and Amethyst and the Peruvian Ironclad turret ship Huascar on the 29th May 1877

Tantalus, engraved by Giulio Sanuto, c. 1550s (engraving)
XJF472234 Tantalus, engraved by Giulio Sanuto, c.1550s (engraving) by Titian (Tiziano Vecelli) (c.1488-1576) (after); Private Collection; (add.info)

Sunday in the backwoods of Canada, from Illustrations of English and Scottish
KW250774 Sunday in the backwoods of Canada, from Illustrations of English and Scottish History Volume II (engraving) (see 13342) by Faed

Mockery of a beggar's wedding, French engraving, 1850
UIG5414709 Mockery of a beggar's wedding, French engraving, 1850; UIG.

The Devil and the Damned. Strasbourg cathedral (stained glass)
8711578 The Devil and the Damned. Strasbourg cathedral (stained glass); (add.info.: Strasbourg Cathedral. Stained glass. The Devil and the Damned. Strasbourg. France.); © Pascal Deloche/Godong

Poor family spend a desperate Christmas together, 1893 (engraving)
3478773 Poor family spend a desperate Christmas together, 1893 (engraving); (add.info.: Poor family spend a desperate Christmas together, 1893.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Illustration to the poem The Song of the Dead, by Rudyard Kipling, from A Song of the English, pub.c.1914
3502883 Illustration to the poem The Song of the Dead, by Rudyard Kipling, from A Song of the English, pub.c.1914; Photo © Hilary Morgan.

Illustration by Bernard Partridge (1861-1945) in Punch, 30/01/24 - Europe, English language, Labour Party
ICA4937154 Illustration by Bernard Partridge (1861-1945) in Punch, 30/01/24 - Europe, English language, Labour Party, Foreign press - Dragon by Partridge

The Unemployed in the mid 19th century. From Bibby's Annual published 1910
2638476 The Unemployed in the mid 19th century. From Bibby's Annual published 1910.; Private Collection; Photo © Hilary Morgan.

Chaos at the crossing
Jeffrey C. Sink

Cannonball
James Cai

AI IMAGE - King Lear, 2023. Creator: Heritage Images
AI IMAGE - King Lear, 2023. Main character from the tragedy of "King Lear" by William Shakespeare. Lear divides his power and land between two of his daughters

AI IMAGE - King Lear, 2023. Creator: Heritage Images
AI IMAGE - King Lear, 2023. Main character from the tragedy of "King Lear" by William Shakespeare. Lear divides his power and land between two of his daughters

AI IMAGE - King Lear, 2023. Creator: Heritage Images
AI IMAGE - King Lear, 2023. Main character from the tragedy of "King Lear" by William Shakespeare. Lear divides his power and land between two of his daughters

AI IMAGE - King Lear, 2023. Creator: Heritage Images
AI IMAGE - King Lear, 2023. Main character from the tragedy of "King Lear" by William Shakespeare. Lear divides his power and land between two of his daughters

Jan de Groot's bookshop and lottery office in the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam, 1758-1843. Creator: Anon
Jan de Groot's bookshop and lottery office in the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam, 1758-1843

Hino Kumawakamaru and the Priest Calling Back the Boat, 1885. Creator: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Hino Kumawakamaru and the Priest Calling Back the Boat, 1885. From Yoshitoshi's Warriors Trembling with Courage. The boy Hino Kunimitsu(1320-1363)

The Last Chance, between c1830 and c1840s. Creator: George Cruikshank
The Last Chance, between c1830 and c1840s

A Rich Lady Visits a Poor Family, 1853. Creator: Gerardus Terlaak
A Rich Lady Visits a Poor Family, 1853

The Last Defenders of Missolonghi, 22 April 1826: an episode from the Greek War of Independence, 1826. The Greeks, besieged by soldiers of the Ottoman Empire

"Antechamber of the Tribunal of the Inquisition, in the Ducal Palace, Venice" - painted by L. Haghe - from the Exhibition of the New Society of Painters in Water Colours, 1856

"Tess of the D'Urbervilles", By Thomas Hardy; "She slid down upon her knees beside his foot...1891
'"Tess of the D'Urbervilles", By Thomas Hardy; "She slid down upon her knees beside his foot...... In the name of Heaven, forgive me ! she whispered", 1891

Usant jusqu'a son dernier homme et son dernier mousquet, 19th century. Creator: Honore Daumier
Usant jusqu'a son dernier homme et son dernier mousquet, 19th century. Amputee and soldier with gun: Down to his last man and his last musket

'"The Bridge of Sighs" and Thomas Hood, 1890. Creator: William Small
'"The Bridge of Sighs" and Thomas Hood, 1890. From "The Graphic. An Illustrated Weekly Newspaper", Volume 42. July to December, 1890

Delarer, Llellwyn, Miss, 1917 Creator: Arnold Genthe
Delarer, Llellwyn, Miss, 1917

Harengs ayant servi à l'alimentation pendant le siège de Paris, 15–11–1870. Creator: Auguste Charpentier
Harengs ayant servi a l'alimentation pendant le siege de Paris, 15-11-1870

Rat ayant servi à l'alimentation pendant le siège de Paris, 15–01–1871. Creator: Auguste Charpentier
Rat ayant servi a l'alimentation pendant le siege de Paris, 15-01-1871

Christ before Caiaphas (From the cycles of The Life of Christ), 1304-1306. Creator: Giotto di Bondone (1266-1377)
Christ before Caiaphas (From the cycles of The Life of Christ), 1304-1306. Found in the collection of the Cappella degli Scrovegni, Padua

Bridge of Sighs, 1858. Creator: John Everett Millais
Bridge of Sighs, 1858

The International Exhibition: "Farewell - For Ever", by V. Manzano, 1862. Creator: E. Skill
The International Exhibition: "Farewell - For Ever", by V. Manzano, 1862. Engraving of a painting. A young cavalier lover has been severed from his lady-love by her...being forced to take

The Death of Lucretia, 17th century. Artist: Guido Cagnacci
The Death of Lucretia, 17th century. From the Musee des Beaux-Arts, Lyon, France

Elevation of the Cross, work by Rubens, collocated in the left transept of the Cathedral (Onze Lieve Vrouwkathedraal) of Antwerp Belgium Antwerp Painting Baroque

Florida, South Florida, woman running under the Juno beach pier

Lamentation over the Dead Christ, fresco, Giotto (Giotto di Bondone) (c. 1267 - 1337), Scrovegni Chapel, Padua Padua Scrovegni Chapel Mural Painting Gothic, Middle Ages, Europe

Crucifixion; work of Masaccio, originally the summit of the Pisa polyptych. Galleria Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples Painting Early Renaissance, Renaissance, Renaissance-Baroque styles and periods

Crucifixion, drawing by Michelangelo. Musee du Louvre, Paris Drawing High Renaissance, Renaissance, Renaissance-Baroque styles and periods, Europe, First and Second Millennium A.D

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In the depths of despair, captured by William Hogarth's iconic "Gin Lane" from 1751, we witness the haunting portrayal of desperation. The artist skillfully depicts a society consumed by addiction and poverty, where hope seems to have vanished like a distant dream. Moving forward in time, an advert for Frys Chocolate serves as a bittersweet reminder that even in moments of desperation, indulging in small pleasures can provide temporary solace. As John William Waterhouse's enchanting mermaid emerges from the depths of her aquatic realm, one cannot help but wonder if she too yearns for something beyond her watery confines - perhaps an escape from her own desperate existence. Stepping into the realm of spirituality and faith, "The New Jerusalem" painted around 1900 presents us with a vision of salvation amidst chaos. In this depiction, desperation takes on a different form - it becomes an opportunity for redemption and renewal. As we journey through art history, Rembrandt van Rhijn's powerful painting "Christ with Arms Folded" captures a moment frozen in time. The somber expression on Christ's face speaks volumes about his understanding of human suffering and our shared experience of desperation. In Thomas Gainsborough’s study for "Deserted - A Foundling, " oil on canvas reveals abandoned children left to fend for themselves – their innocent faces reflecting both vulnerability and sheer desperation. Michelangelo Caravaggio's masterpiece "The Laying in the Tomb" transports us to the biblical scene where Jesus is laid to rest after his crucifixion. Here we witness not only grief but also profound despair among those who loved him most. Peter Paul Rubens' dramatic painting "Le Coup de Lance" portrays Christ being pierced by a lance during his crucifixion. Desperation intertwines with agony as Rubens captures this pivotal moment in Christian iconography.