Unlike many required reading assignments, I thoroughly enjoyed the minutes I spent reading 'Ways of Seeing' by John Berger. The main idea that was taken out of this excerpt was the use of reproductions of works of art and the ongoing debate of a reproduction's worth. Through media such as cameras and television, the amount of people that have been able to experience art has multiplied more than imaginable. Although we are able to view these works of art, is it the same as seeing the real thing? That, I believe, is personal opinion. Berger presents the argument that "one might argue that all reproductions more or less distort" the original work (Berger 628). In opposition, he balances the argument that one may put aside the minute differences of the works and respect the fact that the work was desired for reproduction. In my opinion, a reproduction is as good as the original in that it allows me to view, often in detail, the general presentation of the piece of art. Although the original may present more finite details than an original, it can be even further respected for the details which proved less easy to reproduce.
For those, such as I, who do not mind appreciating the overall work of art through a reproduction, websites such as http://www.reproductionsart.com/ offers a wide variety of oil painting reproductions of 'famous world masterpieces'.
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