Going back to my post about putting a “Face to a Name,” I recently visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a couple class assignments. For my art history class, we were told to pick a piece of artwork from a list then analyze it based on our own conceptions and not outside sources. So, when I went to the MET, I went on a quest to find the Emperor Caracalla of Rome. It was weird because I never really go into a museum knowing exactly what I want to see, I normally just stroll in an see things. But, this time I had a set plan and it was a really unique experience for me. So, once I finally found it, I was struck by how large it was in person. Normally, in class we have a powerpoint of pictures of all these artifacts and sculptures, yet it never occurred to me how different they look in real life. Although it was missing it’s body and had a substantial amount of damage to its face, I thought it was interesting to see how much information one can gather from a head. Whether it be the parted lips, furrowed brows, or stubble beard, I was really fascinated by the fact that these little things account for a lot of historical data.
Anyways…what I was really getting at was the fact that seeing this marble head in person was much more interesting than seeing it in google images. Similarly, in English class we may read things but we don’t really take the chance to look up who we are reading and get a better sense of the context. The recent poetry reading that I went to opened my eyes to the fact that these pieces of writing aren’t just words on paper, but voices of people too. I just thought it was a really awesome experience both in the MET and the CUNY Graduate center. Also, the fact that you can go into a museum an yell (well maybe not yell) “I KNOW WHAT THAT IS!” is pretty cool. I hope that maybe I can go out more and see the things that I’ve learned about-that way I can gain a better sense of appreciation for them.
