Art Meditation: Awakening Paintings Through Contemplation
Discover how contemplative meditation can bring artworks to life, with insights from Dante, Rilke, and Goethe. Learn mindful art viewing techniques.
How Contemplative Meditation Brings Art to Life
When invited by Amherst College's Mead Art Museum to lead an art meditation session, I chose Ary Scheffer's 1856 painting Paolo and Francesca - a dramatic depiction of doomed lovers from Dante's Inferno. This experience revealed how mindful observation can transform our relationship with artwork.
The Power of Contemplative Art Viewing
One participant described the remarkable sensation that "the painting had been asleep, and through meditation it woke up." This mirrors poet Rainer Maria Rilke's experience with Cézanne's paintings in 1907 Paris. After repeated viewings, Rilke finally developed "the right eyes" to truly see the artworks.
As Goethe observed: "Every object, well-contemplated, opens a new organ in us." Deep observation literally changes how we perceive.
How to Practice Art Meditation: A Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these steps to awaken artworks through contemplative viewing:
Prepare Your Space
- Position yourself comfortably before the artwork
- Settle both body and mind
- Release distractions through mindful breathing
Initial Observation
- Open your eyes gently
- Note visual elements without analysis:
- Color palette
- Composition
- Figures and forms
- Textures and details
Deepen Your Gaze
- Soften your focus to perceive relationships:
- Light and shadow
- Movement and stillness
- Emotional contrasts
- Spatial dynamics
- Soften your focus to perceive relationships:
Internalize the Experience
- Close your eyes while maintaining awareness
- Let the visual memory fade while retaining:
- Emotional resonance
- Energetic impressions
- Kinetic sensations
Why This Practice Matters
As Emerson noted: "We animate what we can, and only see what we animate." Contemplative viewing:
- Develops "new eyes" for perception
- Creates deeper artistic connections
- Reveals hidden dimensions in artwork
- Transforms passive viewing into active engagement
Conclusion: The Awakened Viewer
Through patient, meditative observation, we don't just see art - we bring it to life. The painting's latent energy awaits only our awakened attention. As we cultivate "the right eyes," we become co-creators in the artistic experience.
Arthur Zajonc is professor of physics at Amherst College and author of *Meditation as Contemplative Inquiry. Explore more at arthurzajonc.org.*