How to appreciate arts in museums

【小题1】

You can increase the chance of finding an art piece that you can connect with by going to a museum that interests you. If you’re interested in climate change, for example, you might pick a museum that’s showing artworks inspired by Earth protection.

Keep your museum visit short and focused

Once you’ve picked the place you want to visit, how do you make the most of your time? Art museums can be huge. For example, the Museum of Modern Art in New York has almost 200, 000 works. So be realistic about how long you can spend at the museum.【小题2】.After that, it’s hard to stay focused and remember what you’ve seen.

Really experience the art

Once you have the chance of seeing the real thing at a museum, get up close and take your time to experience it. For example, when you are looking at sculptures(雕塑), try to copy them with your body.【小题3】It can open up new pathways and possibilities of how you might make sense of these things in your life, too.

Keep an open mind to reflect and appreciate

When you are looking at an artwork, try not to think about what you’re about to see. Some artworks maybe surprising, while others might be disappointing.【小题4】.You can love it. You can hate it. You can cry, feel angry or laugh. That’s OK.

Draw personal connections to the artwork

Even though it may not be what the artist intended, a color, a flower or a pattern in a painting might remind you of something in your own life. So let your mind wander and follow your thought wherever it leads you.【小题5】

The Artistic Marvel: Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh, a troubled but immensely talented Dutch painter, left a profound mark on the world of art with his iconic work “Starry Night.” Painted in 1889, during a period of emotional turmoil and personal struggle, this masterpiece reflects both the artist’s inner turmoil and his deep connection to nature.

“Starry Night” is an oil painting that measures 73.7 cm × 92.1 cm and is currently housed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The painting features a small village with steeples and houses nestled beneath a sweeping, swirling night sky filled with stars. The sky itself seems to come alive, as the stars twinkle and the crescent moon shines brightly. Van Gogh’s use of bold, swirling brushstrokes creates a sense of movement and turbulence in the sky, as if it is in constant motion.

The village below is bathed in a peaceful, calming light, in stark contrast to the dynamic sky above. The cypress tree in the foreground reaches up towards the heavens, almost as if it is trying to touch the stars. This painting is a testament to van Gogh’s ability to convey emotion through color and form. It is said that he painted “Starry Night” from his room in the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where he sought treatment for his mental health issues.

What makes “Starry Night” truly remarkable is the emotional depth it carries. Van Gogh’s use of vibrant blues and yellows, combined with the swirling patterns of the sky, evoke a sense of both wonder and melancholy. It is as if the painting captures the artist’s inner turmoil and his profound connection to the universe.

“By removing needless details in pursuit of perfection, Van Den followed in the footsteps of many great artists, writers, composers, and painters.”

Juhani Murros made an unexpected discovery during his visits to art galleries when he worked for an organization in Ho Chi Minh City in 1990. A small still life in an unnoticeable gallery commanded the Finnish physician’s attention. “It was not an eye-catching oil painting, yet its dark, mysterious colors and the emotional tension of its disciplined composition set it apart.” Thus began a long journey of discovering the art and life of Van Den, a Buddhist of mixed Chinese and Vietnamese ancestry who studied in Paris for less than two years during the first French Indochina War.

Murros’ biography is, by necessity, brief because there is limited knowledge of the artist, mostly in oral way by family and friends. Many of his paintings did not survive the damp Southeast Asian climate nor the political chaos of his lifetime. However, the author’s research appears to be extensive, as much a years-long spiritual examination of Van Den as a historical one. The artist’s love for country life is apparent in his work, and it is said by those who knew him that he preferred to paint countryside scenes close to his heart and worked as an outsider. He is uninterested in the more elegant work of academically recognized painters. Despite these limitations, Van Den won Vietnam’s most honorable art award in 1960.

Murros gives an in-depth look into the life of this little-known unsung master. The book introduces the readers to Van Den’s art with photographs of his paintings, accompanied by short stories behind them. The book is as quiet as the artist’s work, but it is a satisfying read. Each stroke of words in the book connects to the readers; the narrative awakens the artistic spirit in each one of us, encouraging us to follow our heart.