Why A Museum is Like a Supermarket

A little less than two weeks ago we visited Galleria degli Uffizi Firenze, whose title is extremely boring when translated—The Gallery of the Offices of Florence. The building itself was built to use as offices during the rule of the Medici family in 16^th Century Florence. At the end of the Medici family’s rule (also during the 16^th Century) the last remaining heiress, Anna Maria Louisa, negotiated a famous agreement with the Tuscan government that required Tuscan authorities to maintain the Medici family’s huge art collection as property of the State, creating one of the first museums in the Western world.

Needless to say, this museum is insane. Museums in the United States just might not do it for me anymore. In about an hour I saw my first da Vinci, several paintings by Michelangelo, and works by Caravaggio, Botticelli, and Giotto, to name just a few. Francesco told us to think about the fact that every piece we passed without even a second glance was worth more than we would probably make in our entire lifetime. A sobering thought to say the least—on both the art and the rest of our lives.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Birth of Venus, by Botticelli"][/caption]

From the original Roman busts that line the hallway (tell me that those wouldn’t be behind 3 inch think bulletproof, heat sensing glass if they were in the United States) to literally thousands of pre-Renaissance and Renaissance paintings, altarpieces, and other works of art, it very well could take a lifetime to appreciate even a good chunk of the work in this museum.

But, just as we were all starting to get overwhelmed with how much there was there to appreciate, Francesco gave us a valuable lesson about museums that I plan on carrying with me through the rest of my life. A museum is like a supermarket, he told us, you have to go in with a list of what you’re looking for, or you’ll try to buy everything. Because he was there with us we just hit the highlights, but that’s okay. Really, that’s the only way to do it. As part of our modern world we often want to experience everything as quickly as possible, as intensely as possible. Therefore a whirlwind, headache-inducing museum sweep might seem like a day well spent. But is it?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="466" caption="Doni Tondo, by Michelangelo"][/caption]

This leads us to the question of why we go to museums in the first place. Is it to say we’ve seen as many priceless works as possible, even if we don’t really remember them for themselves? Or is it to truly experience something greater than being able to put a check next to “See the Birth of Venus” on our bucket list?

I think the metaphor of a supermarket can be extended into this aspect of museum going as well. We go to the grocery store to buy what will nourish us. We go with the rest of our lives in mind. We know if company is coming we buy something extra, or if we’re going to be home alone we buy a little less. But we never need everything.

I think it’s the same with museums. There are things going on in other facets of our life that influence what art our spirits can draw the most nourishment from. Maybe “The Birth of the Venus” is the famous painting in this room, but the lonely one across the way is the one that really speaks to us.

In a nutshell, never feel guilty about not “seeing everything” in a museum. Do your homework beforehand and know what you’re looking for. Look at what interests you. Above all, let things speak to you, and if they’re not, move on. Something will.

Peace.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="467" caption="Medusa, by Caravaggio"][/caption]