3 Ways Great Art Enchants Us.

Photo by Art Institute of Chicago on Unsplash

Great art transcends the bounds of time and space, transporting us into unfamiliar worlds. We’re not checking off our “to do” list or filing our nails when looking at an original Monet, Gauguin, or Van Gogh.

Everything stops.

We’re riveted. Why?

1. Great paintings are a gateway to worlds beyond our everyday perception. Through the interplay of colors, forms, and textures, the artist composes entire landscapes, both real and imagined.

Consider the vivid tableaus of Vincent Van Gogh, where the starry night sky becomes a cosmic tapestry, or the serene water lilies of Claude Monet, which transport you to the tranquil banks of a sun-dappled pond.

These works cease to be mere paint on canvas; they evolve into windows, inviting us to step through into a realm where reality mingles seamlessly with imagination.

2. Masterful paintings point to a moment in time, suspending it eternally.

Consider the enigmatic smile of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”, where her expression remains secretive and mysterious even today.

Or, the poignant gaze of Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring.”

These works arrest the passage of time, forging a bridge that connects us intimately with epochs long past and those yet to come.

3. Great art pulsates with the spirit of its maker.

This is important. Maybe the most important enchantment.

In the past 2 decades, neuroaesthetics or the brain on art is all the rage.

EXCEPT THEY LEAVE OUT THE ART MAKER! [focusing on the brain of the viewer of art.

I plan to change this.

It’s my aim to bring the art making experience and the soul of the artist into focus.

The art maker transfers their essence into the very fabric of the work they have created.

Consider the raw emotional intensity of Edvard Munch’s “The Dead Mother and Her Child” (1901) or “The Scream” (1893) both paintings that reverberate with the artist’s inner turmoil.

Or, the tender intimacy of Auguste Rodin’s sculptures, sculpted with hands that seem to have caressed the curves they now immortalize.

In this way, great art ceases to be mere artifacts; they are living entities. They are intimately connected with their maker.

These 3 ways are some of the ways great art enchants us.

Believe me, to create art that carries a POWER like these great artists did — is NOT SIMPLE nor is it ORDINARY!

In a world dominated by virtual imagery, IT’S important to step back and become aware of THE OLD MASTERS.

Creativity, imagination, and soul combine to give their artwork potency.