Sentences on Conceptual Art by Sol Lewitt

One usually understands the art of the past by applying the convention of the present, thus misunderstanding the art of the past. 

This sentence by Sol Lewitt resonated with me because of its pure simplicity and unmistakeable premise. As as Art History major, I know the importance of historical context when analyzing a piece of art. I specialize in ancient art from Greece and Rome but am currently in a survey class that exhibits art work from the Renaissance to the present. By knowing the history and perhaps the intent of the artist, I have discovered a whole new world of art contextualized so as to understand the periods of Rococo, Realism and the Age of Enlightenment. Periods and art work that were a mystery to me before are no longer.

I have seen Courbet's The Stone Breakers and thought what a bleak portrayal for a subject and imagined why was this painting so large; the dimensions are 10' x 16' thus elevating the laborers to an elevated status of portraiture in the time it was painted. The critics lambasted the painting and Courbet for portraying dredge work in such a exalted status without considering who the intended audience would be. Without knowing all of the background information for this painting and perhaps the historical context of Realism, the meaning behind The Stone Breakers would be lost to us.