Culturally Variable Ways Of Seeing: Art And Literature, By Mary Beard

In the “Culturally Variable Ways of Seeing: Art and Literature,” Mary Beard talks about the rules of looking. According to Beard, the rules of looking are used to determine things like “our classification of artistic production, the language we use to discuss this production, and the value we choose to give it.” These rules really impact our understanding of art and literature. They help us understand the meaning and value of art and literature. They make us focus on the history of the pieces of art. It is important that we understand the story behind art because if we don’t, it won’t mean anything to us. The rules of looking are culturally variable. Art and literature is culturally variable because it is different in every culture. You need …show more content…
Just the fact that you’re looking at art in a museum matters because it makes you think that the pieces are really important. I’ve never been to an actual museum, but when I think about a museum I think about really important artists and really important art. The context or location of art really does affect our idea of its value because whenever I see art at the store I never really see it as if it’s important. I always ignore the signature of the artist on the corner of the paintings. Whereas, if I would’ve seen it at a museum or in a important event I would of looked deep into the art pieces. The style of display also changes the way that we see art. An example that Beard gives is about an ordinary hunting net in a museum, it was “laid out on its own, on a low platform, under spot-lighting -- the kind of treatment usually reserved for the rarest and most precious objects.” The simple fact that the net was given that kind of context really affected the way that people saw it because they saw it as an amazing piece, but they wouldn’t of thought the same if it were displayed with a lot of other hunting