As someone who studies art history, I look at paintings all day. I analyze them, think about the history and the theory involved, yadda yadda – all by looking at reproduction of these paintings in books or online. But there is nothing like seeing a painting in person. Nothing. Now while I attempt to portray this idea through my examples below, I realize that this whole post might be pointless as I can’t show you actually paintings. All I can do is show you the reproductions that I am so familiar with. So let’s make an agreement – as soon as you finish reading this, run out to your local art museum or gallery and check out some real life paintings.
Pablo Picasso's Guernica
The size of a painting is something a reproduction of the work is never, ever going to get right. Sure, I could read in a book that Guernica is 349 cm x 776 cm but what does that even mean? When I found myself standing in front of Guernica, all I could think was “wow, this is huge!” The emotion of the painting isn’t just reflected through the anguished faces of the figures – it is expressed through the size and enormity of the work. This is an essential element of the painting that I could not truly understand until I was standing there in the Museo Reina Sophia front of Guernica (luckily without a tour group in the gallery with me – hooray!).
Umberto Boccioni's Dynamism of a Cyclist
Before I visited the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice, I knew I loved the Italian Futurists. The colors, the lines, the Futurist Evenings – total art history crush. Tragically, I had never seen a Futurist painting in personal until I ventured into the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. You know that happy, fluttering stomach feeling when you see your crush walk in the room? That’s me with Futurist paintings…but I would have never truly known what a wonderful art history couple we make if I hadn’t gone there. That experience of you and the painting – one on one – is something a reproduction in a book or online is not going to give you.
This is why art museums and galleries are oh so important! There is just an intangible quality of seeing a painting in person – noticing the brushstrokes, the size, how the light hits the paint – that cannot be replicated. So remember that agreement we made at the beginning of this post? Well, I’ll be expecting a museum paper on your experience at the end of the week. I’ll make it easy – only 2-3 pages, double-spaced.
This post is a part of the new and very awesome ArtSmart Roundtable.
This month’s topic: Paintings in Museums!
On the last Monday of each month, other arts-oriented travel bloggers and myself will all post articles on the same topic. Though considering our very different backgrounds and interests, each of this post will uniquely reflect our individual tastes as art-lovers. Check out the links below to read the rest of this month’s ArtSmart Roundtable contributions:
- Reflections of the Renaissance in the Uffizi by Jenna of This is My Happiness
- Rembrandt in the National Gallery by Erin of Visual Vacation
- Looking at the Abstract Paintings of Mark Rothko by Kelly of Travellious
< photo credits: peteaylward – sincretic – Peggy Guggenheim Museum >
16 comments
2 pings
Sue Reddel says:
August 30, 2011 at 5:47 am (UTC -7)
Hi Ashley, great post and I couldn’t agree with you more. While see great works of art in a book and reading about it is a marvelous thing actually seeing the work is often a revelation. Your choice of Guernica by Picasso is terrific. I always admired the work but finally had the chance to see it this summer in Spain. It was breathtaking. Although I didn’t have the luxury of seeing it without the throngs it was still something I’ll always remember. Thanks for taking me through those memories again. One last thing – how did you manage to get a picture?
Ashley @ No Onions Extra Pickles says:
September 7, 2011 at 2:42 pm (UTC -7)
Thanks Sue! I’m glad the use of Guernica as an example has gone over so well – seems like one that everyone can connect with.
And the picture I found on Flickr’s Creative Commons. The photo credits are at the bottom of the post. I work in a museums, so I would dare break the photography protocols
jenjenk says:
August 30, 2011 at 5:14 pm (UTC -7)
i agree! it’s so different to see any art work live, in person! always so impactful!
Ashley @ No Onions Extra Pickles says:
September 7, 2011 at 2:45 pm (UTC -7)
Exactly! Glad you enjoyed the post.
Stephanie - The Travel Chica says:
August 30, 2011 at 7:09 pm (UTC -7)
I also agree. I love going to galleries. And yes, the really large works are always so much more impressive in person.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..My Decision to Go Home
Cathy Sweeney says:
August 30, 2011 at 7:33 pm (UTC -7)
Your roundtable is a great idea!
I love visiting art museums even though I’m certainly not an expert. I agree with everything you said about seeing art in person — the size, the details. Rothko is just one example of an artist whose works really get an emotional reaction from me when it’s up close in real life.
Mark Wiens says:
August 30, 2011 at 7:57 pm (UTC -7)
I am also a lover of art history and took many courses on art during university.
I had seen the first painting from Jackson Pollock in books and photos but it wasn’t until I visited New York and saw it in person when it really shocked me and I was truly amazed. Likewise, it was the same when I visited Egypt and all the historical sites. Sometimes things are just so much more amazing in person.
Dina says:
August 30, 2011 at 9:52 pm (UTC -7)
Hey Ashley, I loooooveee going to art museum, especially to see the painting. And you are so right, seeing painting in person is so much different with knowing it from book/internet/tv. So much different! I especially love van Gogh’s works because the strokes, yes those strokes, you an see it like 3D of paint strokes! Amazing!
Is that the real Guernica? I went to Reina Sofia a few months ago and didn’t take a foto of it because I didn’t want to violate the no photograph rule. And there was a stern looking guard beside it anyway. Kinda regret it, but I bought a magnetic book marker of the horse head, so I’m pleased slightly.
Can you believe I have zero photograph in Prado?!! I must had forgotten my camera, or I was probably insane! It’s m fav museum because of Goya’s works.
Dina recently posted..Happy Eid ul-Fitr ~ 24 Photographs of Islamic Architecture and Design from Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, and UAE
Michael Figueiredo says:
August 30, 2011 at 10:39 pm (UTC -7)
I had the exact same reaction when I saw Guernica in person! In my high school Spanish book it looked like a small, ordinary sized painting. I had no idea it was practically a mural, it was so big!
Raymond @ Man On The Lam says:
August 31, 2011 at 5:58 am (UTC -7)
I have to admit, I don’t get a lot of art. It’s probably because I don’t get out to art galleries often enough. But when I do, I naturally gravitate towards the larger pieces. I loved Dali’s Christ of St. John of the Cross when I saw it in Glasgow…
Raymond @ Man On The Lam recently posted..How to Get Stone-Faced Looks
Jenna says:
September 3, 2011 at 3:05 pm (UTC -7)
YES! I couldn’t agree more. As you said, it’s like seeing your crush walk in the room…it’s such an exciting feeling when you finally see a painting you’ve been waiting to see. And for me, I’ve fallen in love with many pieces and artists only after seeing them in person.
ehalvey says:
September 4, 2011 at 7:40 am (UTC -7)
Agreed! Especially with the example of how so many people are disappointed with the Mona Lisa’s size. To me, seeing illuminated manuscripts in person takes it to a whole new level when you’re used to seeing a drawing up on a screen that’s maybe 500% larger than the real thing. Like you, studying the size when memorizing slides really means nothing to me. I can’t envision size. LOVE this post
ehalvey recently posted..Saturday Snapshot-Guinness Art in Dublin, Ireland
Nancie says:
November 7, 2011 at 6:08 am (UTC -7)
Nothing like gazing at art in the “raw”
I can still remember how blown away I was by Rembrandt’s ‘Watch Tower” when I saw it in Amsterdam in the 1970′s.
Lesley Peterson says:
March 23, 2012 at 12:20 pm (UTC -7)
Reproductions just don’t cut it. Never mind the surface or subtleties, scale matters, too. I was a bubble-headed shopping teen before I saw Manet’s Olympia. I still remember being stunned at how he could portray veins running under skin with just paint. I immediately became obsessed with art and got a degree in art history with distinction. The power of art to inspire!
Adam says:
April 14, 2012 at 2:34 am (UTC -7)
I studied art history, too, and visiting museums is one of my favorite things to do. In fact, I just bought a one-year pass for entry to all of Berlin’s city museums! I have a lot of exploring to do
Also, how did you snap that pic of Guernica….pretty sure I remember seeing signs all over the room saying “no photographs”! hah!
Adam recently posted..5 European hotspots I’ve never seen
Ashley says:
April 16, 2012 at 8:31 pm (UTC -7)
Berlin! I want to go there so bad – have heard such great things about the art scene there.
I wish I could take full credit for the sneaking Guernica pic, but I found it on creative commons. The photo credit is at the bottom of the post.
» ArtSmart Roundtable: Reflections of the Renaissance in the Uffizi » This Is My Happiness says:
August 29, 2011 at 9:49 am (UTC -7)
[...] “When You Really See a Painting” by Ashley at No Onions Extra Pickles [...]
A Sense of Place » ArtSmart Roundtable: Rembrandt in the National Gallery of Ireland says:
September 17, 2011 at 7:41 am (UTC -7)
[...] No Onions Extra Pickles: ArtSmart Roundtable: When You Really See a Painting [...]