Viewing Art at a Slower Pace

Doug and I enjoy going to museums.  However, most of the time we are trying to pack as much in as possible to enable us to view as much art as possible.  However, a recent New York Times article, The Art of Slowing Down in a Museum, suggests slowing down while visiting a museum.

“When you go to the library,” said James O. Pawelski, the Director of Education for the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, “you don’t walk along the shelves looking at the spines of the books and on your way out tweet to your friends, ‘I read 100 books today!’”

Professor Pawelski…asks [his students] to spend at least twenty minutes in front of a single painting that speaks to them in some way. Twenty minutes these days seems like a long duration for most people.  “But what happens, of course, is you actually begin to be able to see what you’re looking at,” he said.

So, the next time you step into a museum, allow yourself to be led by your intuition, and don’t be afraid to spend extra time on those pieces of art that interests you.  I plan to practice this sentiment the next time I view art!

The image below is of the museum and gardens at Versailles in Paris, France.