Sunday, October 13, 2024

Falling in Love with an Art Object

My children were out here for a birthday celebration, and we went with my daughter and her husband to Canyon Road (the street with the most galleries in Santa Fe) to look for a sculpture for their garden. Though I have been with my wife for a half-century, this search reminded me of a bronze I had bought with my first wife. That was a good memory, but I did not miss the object itself. Of course, one thought always leads to another, and it reminded me of a small painting acquired back then. I believe it was of a girl sitting by a pond, and suddenly I missed it. Why does that work and not the other?

That is what started me on this Missive. The painting was by an artist who is somewhat known, but the market value of this work would not be significant. It is a pretty picture but that’s it. So, why do I miss it? Because it was given to us by my father’s classmate from Frankfurt, who I thought of as a dear uncle.

There are lots of scientific reasons given as to why, as a species, humans love art. They all run along the same lines, more or less, and here is one example from the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland, Maine: “Why do people enjoy art? Scientific research shows that viewing art can release dopamine. This natural neurotransmitter creates a feeling of calmness and improves your overall feelings of well-being. As such, embracing art can serve as a natural pathway to alleviate stress and elevate your mood.”

On a personal level the scientific definition makes sense in terms of a certain category of art or a specific work. Many, new to the art world as well as seasoned veterans, love the Impressionists. Their works are easily accessible, and appeal to many. You can get lost in works painted in that genre. That is not what happens to me when I listen to atonal music. On the other hand, I can accept that definition when I hear folk music. For my wife, it is classical music.

I told the story at the beginning because I think what we often like about art is where it comes from or how old the object is. Would you like to own a cave painting? You may be able to draw a horse better than this one from the Lascaux caves in France estimated to be 17,000 years old. Putting it in context, however, you become in awe of it.


A great deal of the attraction of an object can be how you relate to it. Maybe a painting reminds you of your mother, your daughter, or an uncle. Then there are objects that relate to where you come from and other family members. These German Baroque gilt bronze lions were probably the feet of a clock or cabinet. Both my wife and I admire them as beautifully made imaginative creations from a historic period but for me, they are precious as they belonged to my parents.


Then there are works that relate to one’s own personal history. For instance, this Art Nouveau inkstand and the inkwell. (A removable wave crest covers the original glass inkwell.) It was part of the Art Nouveau collection we assembled over the years in our New York home. Most of it went to museums and auctions but there are always objects like this that you simply cannot part with.


Most of us buy souvenirs on a trip. You might have traveled to Kenya and bought a traditional gourd or a contemporary painting there. When you bring it home you not only enjoy the work for its own sake, but it is also a reminder of your enjoyable adventure in another world.


In a similar vein, there was a tradition in Europe of making a small purchase when an art dealer would visit another. In France that was known as “pour marqée le passage”, literally to mark the passage. It was a token of respect for the colleague whose time you took up. It was not required but often done.

In conclusion, we fall in love with a work of art in the same way we fall in love with an individual. Many factors combine to make each a different experience.

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