HUNGER

Artists approached hunger, an invisible sensation, in a variety of ways. They represented its physical effects on emaciated bodies, and they implied its social consequences through relationships of seeking and giving sustenance. In the following group of objects, several of which were created during periods of famine, artists used sympathetic or confrontational strategies to shape the viewer’s perception of hunger. In the contexts of charity, war and religious asceticism, hunger was something to be remedied, feared or even admired.