I'm Remembering!

One of my favorite works by Bruegel, The Return of the Hunters.  

I was lucky enough to see this in the real at the Kunsthistorisches Museum 

in Vienna.  You can feel how cold it is in the painting.  It's really hard

not to look at it.  It pulls you in.  Even as I write this post I keep

getting distracted and remembering the actual experience of seeing it.

When I first started art school I remember my introduction to visual 

language class.  Basically it was an art history class where students

are taught how to talk about the visual experience intelligently

 learning words like chiaroscuro and grisaille.  This was the first 

class I had to write papers about works of art.  I was terrified 

because I didn't know what I was "supposed" to write about.  It was 

the first paper I had to write using my brain.  There was no format 

to follow.  I ended up enjoying it and looked forward to writing

assignments.  It was a relief writing and knowing that as long as

 I backed up what I was saying I was free to write whatever I wanted.

I was one of those kids that did not thrive on multiple choice tests.

 

A while back I saw Museum Hours, a movie about a security guard

at the Kunsthistorisches Museum.  A movie about the art museum

and the experience of being with works of art. 

Maybe I will watch it again tonight.