Alice Elizabeth Chase’s Looking at Art portrays art as something that can be viewed and interpreted in many different ways. She describes how individuals have contrasting opinions of what is important in a work of art, which results in an array of artwork focused on numerous different things. She references individuals who emphasize the importance of landscape in Chinese, Egyptian and Roman artworks, mentioning “Landscape…is a big thing and should be viewed from a distance in order to grasp the scheme of hill and stream.” (p. 22). She emphasizes how landscapes have grown in importance over time, slowly going from being just backgrounds for portraits to esteemed works of art placed in country estates by English gentlemen. With every piece from a different location or period of time, there is a reflection of the diverse, contrasting values society held, from gold to religion to the beauty of the surrounding environment.
Art is a form of expressing one’s views and emotions as well as painting a picture of the world as seen through one’s eyes. As mentioned by Chase, “It can…show us new ways of seeing, can sharpen our perception, and can give us a deeper and richer sense of the relation of nature and man.” (p. 33). Chase then proceeds to discuss the importance of paying attention to little details such as the positioning of objects and people. She analyzes and scrutinizes works of art in order to display how every detail plays a part in conveying what the artists are trying to express. She highlights the development of the arts through artists’ exploration and growing interest in color, depth, atmosphere, perspective, and the progression of art to the incorporation of the third dimension, experimenting with the different features of art while also adapting to the interests and demands of the public.
As art progresses with time, Chase indicates a shift in focus from paintings of landscapes to the art of photography, which, as she clearly describes, comes with many struggles for accuracy. Many important factors that play into producing the perfect photograph include positioning, lighting, angling, the choice of objects and people, and even posture, which can cause a photograph to look stiff and unnatural. Accuracy and perfection play large roles in art as slight discrepancies or inaccuracies can throw off the balance of an art piece and completely change the image.
From the past until present day, the field of art has evolved, and new ideas and aspects have formed. What Chase emphasizes throughout chapters 3 and 4 of her work is the idea that there are different ways of seeing and interpreting everything from the surrounding environment to priceless works of art located in museums. While one artist may value landscapes and portray this in his or her work, another artist may see landscapes as merely a background to a portrait or simply a supplement. At one period of time, religion was a central theme in art and was seen everywhere, from paintings to the ceilings of churches. Even historical events such as the declaration of independence have influenced the subject focus of art. In this sense, it is clear to see that art has been an actively changing field, adapting to society’s demands and feelings/reactions about significant current events. But as believed by Chase, art “…can show us new ways of seeing, can sharpen our perception, and can give us a deeper and richer sense of the relation of nature and man.” (p. 33).
