Comments on: A not-very-special special and a digital gem http://flyingfox.jonathanjanson.com/2009/03/20/a-not-very-special-special-and-something-special-too/ Words from the Essential Vermeer.com Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:11:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: ARech http://flyingfox.jonathanjanson.com/2009/03/20/a-not-very-special-special-and-something-special-too/comment-page-1/#comment-3440 ARech Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:16:23 +0000 http://flyingfox.jonathanjanson.com/?p=1352#comment-3440 I traveled from Germany to Amsterdam only to take the unique chance (for a common European) to see the 'Woman Holding a Balance', after a 200 years absence from Amsterdam re-united with its 'sister-paintings' 'The Milkmaid' and the 'Woman in Blue Reading a Letter', and in close companionship to their 'relatives', the 'Love Letter' and the 'Little Street' – a truly unique reunification. I will never forget the moment I finally stand, exhausted after a troublesome journey, in front of this highly magnificent painting, whose quietness and self-content serenity comforted and calmed me in a way only such a Vermeer can do. In some breaks of viewing I watched a bit the many visitors. But, to my great surprise, the great majority of them spent only or a few seconds at last in front of this outstanding masterpiece, although it is greatly and expensively announced and welcomed as 'Our Guest from Washington', with a special lecture by Arthur K. Wheelock, curator of the National Gallery Washington, and several special concerts and tours around its 3-months stay in Amsterdam. I frequently make this observation of only a glimpse to masterpieces on a normal visit in museums (and I know I am not alone with this observation). But in this special case I would have expected that visitors would pay more attention and appreciation for this very special guest. Do people have lost the ability of viewing? Do they have lost the ability to recognize a masterpiece, even that of the outstanding quality of 'Woman Holding a Balance', although they have gone to a museum, waited in lines and spend money certainly with the intention to view the paintings? Why they are apparently not aware of this unique chance they unconsciously throw away? I know that our habit of viewing has, unfortunately, changed within a time overloaded with thousands of fast-changing images and impressions a minute. But that so many people don't really see such a marvelous masterpiece and make full use of a chance they probably will never get again in their life, despite of all announcement and thousands of flyers all around, that is really astonishing and difficult to understand for me. AR I traveled from Germany to Amsterdam only to take the unique chance (for a common European) to see the ‘Woman Holding a Balance’, after a 200 years absence from Amsterdam re-united with its ’sister-paintings’ ‘The Milkmaid’ and the ‘Woman in Blue Reading a Letter’, and in close companionship to their ‘relatives’, the ‘Love Letter’ and the ‘Little Street’ – a truly unique reunification. I will never forget the moment I finally stand, exhausted after a troublesome journey, in front of this highly magnificent painting, whose quietness and self-content serenity comforted and calmed me in a way only such a Vermeer can do.

In some breaks of viewing I watched a bit the many visitors. But, to my great surprise, the great majority of them spent only or a few seconds at last in front of this outstanding masterpiece, although it is greatly and expensively announced and welcomed as ‘Our Guest from Washington’, with a special lecture by Arthur K. Wheelock, curator of the National Gallery Washington, and several special concerts and tours around its 3-months stay in Amsterdam. I frequently make this observation of only a glimpse to masterpieces on a normal visit in museums (and I know I am not alone with this observation). But in this special case I would have expected that visitors would pay more attention and appreciation for this very special guest.

Do people have lost the ability of viewing? Do they have lost the ability to recognize a masterpiece, even that of the outstanding quality of ‘Woman Holding a Balance’, although they have gone to a museum, waited in lines and spend money certainly with the intention to view the paintings?
Why they are apparently not aware of this unique chance they unconsciously throw away?

I know that our habit of viewing has, unfortunately, changed within a time overloaded with thousands of fast-changing images and impressions a minute. But that so many people don’t really see such a marvelous masterpiece and make full use of a chance they probably will never get again in their life, despite of all announcement and thousands of flyers all around, that is really astonishing and difficult to understand for me.

AR

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