Ways of Seeing

The way people view images has changed radically over centuries. As technology advances, so does the way people view images or see art. It used to be that certain paintings could only be seen in their original location. But in today’s day and age, famous paintings can be duplicated, photographed, and viewed millions of times by millions of people on many different screens or canvases. In John Berger’s series “Ways of Seeing,” one of his statements really stood out to me. In regard to famous images he says, “As you look at them now on your screen, your wallpaper is round them. Your window is opposite them. Your carpet is below them. At the same moment, they are on many other screens, surrounded by different objects, different colors, different sounds. You are seeing them in the context of your own life. They are surrounded not by gilt frames, but by the familiarity of the room you are in, and the people around you.” In years previous, people only heard about famous paintings through literature. Today, people don’t even have to leave their house to experience Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Virgin of the Rocks.”

But there is something to be said about actually experiencing viewing an original image in its original state and location. There is a certain magic about being able to view first-hand the authenticity of a famous painting or sculpture. Everything is reproducible today thanks to the camera. So why do people still venture to different countries to view the original? It is because a reproduction will never encompass the beauty of seeing an original painting in its whole, life-size glory. It is an experience that cannot be replicated by seeing a duplicate.

In opposition, modern day technology can help to enhance and add details to classic art that couldn’t be done before.  The camera allows a still painting to have movement. In the video, John Berger shows a painting set to music from an opera which adds a new dimension to a formerly still painting. The painting was able to transform and have deeper meaning. The meaning of a painting can change depending on the context in which it is viewed. The impact of a painting can be modified due to replication. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but a different thing. For example, my roommate has a giant tapestry of Starry Night hanging in our hallway. The Starry Night is currently at the Museum of Modern Art where thousands of people view it daily. But The Starry Night is also viewed daily in our small Loyola apartment.