For Sylvia Plath 2016

Elina Brotherus made this photograph, titled "For Sylvia Plath", sometime after the year 2000. It depicts a figure lying beneath bedclothes, which is both a reference to death and a way of making visible the typically private suffering of mental illness. In Plath’s famous novel, *The Bell Jar*, the protagonist hides in a similar way, attempting to block out the overwhelming impressions of the outside world. Brotherus's photograph comments on how society deals with mental health, reflecting on the way depression can be hidden or suppressed. The formal composition of the image—the figure neatly arranged in a small, domestic space—may ironically suggest the societal pressures to conform to certain norms. As historians, we analyze not only the artwork itself, but also the cultural and social contexts that inform its meaning, such as the biographical details of Sylvia Plath’s life or the history of mental health treatment. By exploring these diverse resources, we can gain a richer understanding of the complex relationship between art, society, and the individual.