What Makes An Artwork Special?
Back in November 2019, Manny Garibay invited me to his place in Amadeo, Cavite, about 30 minutes away from Tagaytay City. We were supposed to meet in Makati, but he said that if I would drive there instead, he would make it worth my while. I knew enough to recognize a good deal when I hear one, so off I went.
I hit a nice jackpot - this oil on wood artwork came with me when I went back home to Quezon City later that afternoon.
The image is a recurring one in Manny's recent works so I liked that part of it. Little did I know until the pandemic hit in 2020 several months later, that it was also a premonition of sorts.
The artwork depicts a plague doctor. I suppose you could consider them the frontliners who treated those infected by the bubonic plague that swept Europe in the 17th century.
The costume (or early hazmat suit) was meant to protect the plague doctors "from the miasma, or ‘bad air’, then believed to carry disease. This fanciful-looking costume typically consisted of a head-to-toe leather or wax-canvas garment; large crystal glasses; and a long snout or bird beak, containing aromatic spices (such as camphor, mint, cloves, and myrrh), dried flowers (such as roses or carnations), or a vinegar sponge. The strong smells of these items — sometimes set aflame for added advantage — were meant to combat the contagious miasma..."1
Sometimes I'm asked what makes particular artworks special. The usual answer I give is that it's a personal thing - you treasure an artwork because the image connects with you in some way.
This work made me realize that it goes a little deeper than that. The really special artworks are those that also have personal stories behind them. For me, this one has that, in more ways than one.
https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/plague-doctor-costumes/