The Art Public: A Short History

Bätschmann (Giovanni Bellini), a professor emeritus of art history at the University of Bern, offers an enlightening look at changing perceptions of the audience for visual art. He begins in Greece with fourth-century BCE painter Apelles, who left his work out for the public to view and stood out of sight to hear their responses—and then rebuked a man who criticized one painting. Defining the “Apelles problem” as the “rivalry between the artist’s judgement and that of the public,” Bätschmann traces it through history, as thinkers debated whether the public should be valued as art viewers and what constituted the public to begin with (some distinguished a “limited public” of acculturated “judges” from the ignorant “broad mass”). Until the 17th century, the “class-privileged” were often conceived of as the sole favored art judges, and while the Enlightenment saw a push to open “princely collections” to a wider audience, the effort was only partially successful. Bätschmann concludes that contemporary visual art is a field defined by fierce competition for viewers’ attention, citing Banksy’s provocative stunts. Throughout, Bätschmann’s enriching commentary on art, culture, and who it “belongs” to is bolstered by lucid historical detail and analysis. It’s a boon to artists and museumgoers. Photos. (July)