6 minute read
The Art of Fatherhood
Sonora Louise Smart was just 16 years old when her mother died in 1898. Ten years later, sitting in church as mothers were being honored, she had a thought. Surely her father, Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, raising six children on his own, also deserved a special day of recognition. It wasn’t until 1972, though, that President Nixon signed her idea of Father’s Day into law.
Of course, Father’s Day isn’t the only time that fathers have been recognized. The history of art is a journey of exploration, revealing their evolving roles over time. Peering through the lens of paintings, sculptures, and photography, we can discover a vibrant narrative of fatherhood across the ages.
Classical art from early Greece and Rome portrayed the paters as robust muscular figures of strength and protectors of the family. These towering titans were sometimes represented as mythological figures symbolizing wisdom, moral integrity, and guidance.
During the Renaissance, we begin to see these powerful figures touched with a tad more emotion and tenderness, as seen in the works of Caravaggio, along with Raphael’s School of Athens featuring paternal figures as wise intellectuals, guiding the young generations toward knowledge.
It was during the Enlightenment that fathers began to be depicted in a more progressive view, capturing them in intimate family settings, suggesting a more active role in their children’s upbringing and education. This shift mirrored changing sociocultural values where emotional support was beginning to be more accepted.
Then, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Impressionists continued the trend, showing fathers in more candid scenes, emphasizing affection and time spent with them.
Finally, in today’s world, artists are more bold in reflecting a broader spectrum of experiences, including vulnerability, struggles, and insecurities, capturing the essence of modern dads in a rapidly changing world. We find alternative family forms in Western society, such as single dads, stay-at-home dads, and fathers playing a larger role in caretaking.
Here at home, our artists continue to define and explore fatherhood through their art in celebration of their children and family life.
Local photographer Derek Emge reveals his family’s Father’s Day traditions. “As a father of two young adults, I look back with fondness at Father’s Days gone by. If I asked my kids what Father’s Day meant to them, I’m pretty sure their responses would match: In our family, we have always celebrated this day with two key activities and three key ingredients. Since our kids could walk, it has been our tradition to grab three body boards and head to the beach for our own little dad-plus-kids session in the waves. This was super cute when the kids were tiny, and great fun when our son was older, a surfer, and normally wouldn’t be caught dead near a body board. We would race; we would run over each other; we would wipeout; we would (sometimes) get stung by jellies; and we would (often) shiver; but what fun we always had.
After our session, we always headed to the kitchen for activity number two. Here, my wife had a huge spread ready for her hungry surfers. Between bites we would tell her all about the best waves and gnarliest wipeouts. And the key ingredients to this special day? Laughter, Fun, and a lot of Love.
Being a photographer with kids means I have a ready source of subjects for anything new that I might want to try. When I want to experiment with new lighting for the studio or a new lens for the water camera, my kids know it’s up to them to smile, be serious, act goofy, or get deep in a barrel. Now that the kids have flown the coop, it’s times like Father’s Day that I get them back to experiment again. What this year will bring remains to be seen, but it is always fun!”
Artist Jean Pierre Marques credits his uncle for influencing his artistic direction. In defining a father’s role, he says, “A father is a guide who lights the path for his children, while giving them the freedom to discover their own way. He loves them unconditionally, respects their individuality, and supports them without imposing, allowing them to grow into who they are meant to be.”
We’d be remiss, though, if we overlooked our local wildlife community.
Retired professor and local historian Refugio Rochin plays host to 20 families of Great Blue Herons in his yard’s Torrey Pine. Watching these feathered guardians nurture their young inspired his poem: Day after day, I stand tall—not just to guard, but to guide. I fly far to find what we need, then return with open wings and a full heart. And every time I hear your chirps, see your wings stretch a little farther, I know it’s all worth it.
You remind me why I balance stillness with strength, why patience matters, and why love—like the sky—is vast and ever-changing, yet always present.
Thank you for making this old heron proud to call this nest home.
With all my sky-wide love, Dad Heron
