What does art develop?

What are some ways to develop interest in art museums?

• I generally get pretty bored when I'm at a museum. What are ways I can appreciate art more when I'm at such displays?

• Answer:

  I appreciate this question because I used to get bored also. But art museums can be terrific if you approach them right. So, my advice: 1. Don't feel you have to see everything. Particularly at museums where you have to pay a lot for admission, some people feel obligated to "get their money's worth." So they drag themselves to every piece in the building even when their eyes begin to glaze over. I began to love art at the National Gallery in Washington, where admission is free. So: ask at the front desk about the highlights of the collection (often there's a brochure) and only visit those. Don't feel guilty about this--there's probably a lot of other good stuff in the museum, but if you won't enjoy seeing those pieces, then there isn't any point. Of course, if you start to like the museum more, spend more time there! There's always a piece you haven't given a close look to that you will find neat. 2. Go with someone you like. This is really important: ideally, go with 1-2 other people you'll have fun with. Make sure they won't keep you there longer than you want or take you away too soon. Your visit is supposed to be interesting. 3. Learn something about art history. If you know something about a piece, or its general period or style, you'll have more fun and you'll remember what you like. A great book is The Story of Art by E. H. Gombrich, which has been out for decades. It's appealing and not stuffy at all, and you can buy a pocket-sized edition and read it anywhere. It's got hundreds of color images, and it gave me a much better sense of how art works. Turns out most art wasn't made to be put in museums. Until the 20th century art was mostly commissioned by the wealthy (which, in the West, often meant the church). Many artists (Giotto, Caravaggio, Bernini, for instance) interpreted their commissions in extremely creative ways... This painting (Doubting Thomas by Caravaggio) marked a turning point in art history. The artist (Italian, early 17th century) was very religious and wanted people to connect on a personal level to the Bible. Some of his audience was illiterate, and he wanted to be as literal as possible. In this piece, for instance, Thomas actually pokes his finger into Christ's body. This isn't a typically reverent scene with Jesus on a (figurative) pedestal--we see the doubt turned to wonder in Thomas's face. This is art. See, isn't it more interesting when you know the story? 4. Figure out what you like. You don't have to like everything. For instance, I find a lot of countryside landscape scenes rather repetitive and uninteresting. Maybe you find you love medieval painting or Japanese woodblocks! Go back to those things. If you find you like art, your favorite pieces will remind you over and over again why you do.