Wadsworth Atheneum, reviewed by Ann-Sophie Störmann

Art can tell history by Ann-Sophie Störmann

No matter what kind of art you like, the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford has something for everyone. On its four floors it shows paintings, sculptures, photographs and furniture from all different ages. Everything is created with a background and a reason and the more you look at a piece the more you can think for yourself about the reason why this piece was made.

On the top floor there is an exhibition with Caravaggio’s paintings and paintings that were made by people he influenced. In his art he often told a story with religious background and it is often presented dramatically. You can recognize his paintings because of that and because of the strong contrasts he uses between darkness and light. The background is mostly dark while the people in the picture are lighted up. He also uses mostly the primary colors to make his paintings more colorful. He plays with feelings and psychology and knows well how to express them properly.  Looking at his paintings and his influence is really enjoyable and totally worth it.

But can art really tell history? Yes, it can. Some paintings you might not even recognize at first but the more time you spend on it the more thoughts go through your head. One good example for that is “White” by Glenn Ligon. It was made in 1994 and it is shown in the Courant Room on the first floor. If you are standing on the other side of the room you will only recognize a big, black rectangle canvas at first, but the closer you get the better you can identify black letters which are printed on the black canvas. The picture is focused on the invisibility of Being Black in the US. It is supposed to address this problem and is made to get people to think. The sentences on the canvas are quotes from famous people talking about black and white. Not seeing the words is also a symbol for not listening to the people’s words, which also shows a big issue. But only if you get closer to the picture and if you are open minded for at first just a black rectangle you will recognize what a fantastic piece of art this is. It is a great example of art showing history, art delivering a message to the people and of art showing courage, because not everyone is going to accept the message that picture sent to us.

This was only one example of so many other interesting and fantastic art pieces the Wadsworth Atheneum shows. It is definitely worth it visiting!