"Art Was a Proper Name"

In general, art is a difficult word to define. Since art is based so heavily on personal interpretation, defining art in one sentence is a difficult task. To me, art is merely a personal form of self-reflection. Whether it’s a painting, sculpture, or three-dimensional object, art can be anything that has meaning to the artist. My most memorable experience regarding artwork occurred this past year when I traveled to France with my school’s foreign exchange program. During our two week visit, I had the opportunity to view many different forms of artwork. Yet the most interesting form of art I witnessed was the “Mona Lisa”. Most people know the “Mona Lisa” as one of the most popular pieces in art history. Although this may be the case, Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting struck me as memorable because it was just the opposite. Upon arriving at the Louvre, I was fully aware of the painting’s popularity. However, once viewing the artwork in person, I was shocked by its size and overall lack of appeal. What was so special about this painting anyways? In my opinion it was small and dull, nothing too extraordinary. The painting was located in a room full of giant pieces of artwork and in relation, the “Mona Lisa” was not far from pathetic. Yet, as I was staring at the portrait, surrounded by avid admirers, I was determined to find the root of this art’s popularity. I soon realized that the art’s fame was in the facial expression of the women in the painting. At the time this piece of art was constructed, there weren’t many other realistic portraits. Da Vinci was able to capture the essence of this woman and her mysterious smile. The artist was successful in intriguing his spectators. The “Mona Lisa” will most likely remain one of the world’s most famous paintings.

Duve’s essay spoke clearly to me about art. I agree with his statements that art is continuously changing and being reinvented. His statement that, “Art is your domain, your speciality, your chapter in universal history” (Duve 7) really reinforces that fact that art is unique to the artist. Art is about being different and trying something new. Although most artists’ works should speak to others, it is most important that an artist’s painting speaks to himself. Duve speaks about how art is constantly being produced and preserved. We, as a country, preserve art and value new artists’ works as well. I also agree with the fact that there are many different forms of art. Just because something is not a paining or a sculpture doesn’t mean it’s not art. Stationary objects can be alternative forms of art. The author also stressed that fact that humans don’t know exactly how to define art and they might never really know what art truly is. The important thing is for people to respect, question, and create art. Art is nothing unless others are willing to invest their time and genuine interest into the artist's work.