Epiphany

I had an epiphany this morning about why I love art history.

I've been thinking about it a lot lately, trying to discover what it is that I find so fascinating about it, and it dawned on me this morning: There's more than meets the eye.

John Constable once said "We see nothing until we truly understand it."

I think this statement is true on so many levels. We do not see people, places, cultures, or paintings until we truly understand them. We can get the gist, we can glance and skim; but to fully appreciate all the beauty that is there before you, you must seek to understand, you must put forth an effort to see beyond the surface. And I love that this profound truth is the same with people, not just works of art. I love forging that path to understanding and seeing people, cultures, languages, and works of art in a genuine sense. So this is why I study art history: I want to see the world around me in all its glory and bask in the wonderful complexity that is simply life.