The interpretation of Chapter Four was a little more difficult, but the images used bring the subjects of religion, death, and drama. Chapter Three discusses the differences between men and women not only within works of art but also in the real world. The second essay and the first pictorial one utilizes images to approach the issue of the nude female body throughout the history of art and the male gaze. I would undoubtedly recommend this book to other students studying visual arts, but I do not believe that I would recommend it to persons outside this field of study because they would not fully appreciate the issues discussed.įor a basic summarization of the book, John Berger began with a discussion that through reproductions of paintings by old masters through the means of photography ruins the context in which the original work was created. Also, Berger has certainly achieved his goal of leaving the reader with questions I have had multiple discussions with my other classmates to see their interpretations of various chapters and how they have changed how they view their art and the art around them. After finishing the book, I have noticed that I have changed how I perceive advertisements, oil paintings, and the paradoxical situation created by paintings (portraits painted centuries ago depict persons who are no longer living, but the portrait still remains). Being a visual person, I preferred the pictorial essays over the written ones however, the second one (Chapter Four) was particularly difficult for me to interpret. One of my favorite aspects of Ways of Seeing was the organization of how it was arranged-particularly how written essays were followed by essays consisting entirely of images. However, I believe that this novel suits the audience he was hoping to reach. Sometimes a little too confident in his philosophies, Berger lost his conciseness and it was difficult for me to continue reading at my previous pace. Berger maintained a tone that was not necessarily forceful, but certainly confident. I do not necessarily condone his use of so many of Benjamin’s principles, but I appreciate that Berger concluded the chapter by mentioning him and the essay in which he took his ideas: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. In regards to originality, Chapter One contains many ideas taken by the German critic and philosopher Walter Benjamin. Coherence was sometimes difficult, and many times clarity was ambiguous. His tone throughout the book is somewhere between formal and informal-it was written well, but tended to crawl along at a slow pace. Berger’s intended audience is obviously art students, or even anyone simply interested in learning how art shapes the way we see the world. This book is written in the first person, utilizing nouns such as “we” and “our.” The application of this perspective is clearly to connect more closely to the reader, and I respect Berger for utilizing this method. As stated above, the ultimate goal of Berger’s novel is to raise questions inside the readers’ minds. In Ways of Seeing, he combines the fundamentals he has learned in both writing and creating art to create a comprehensive narrative in order to discuss particular issues. John Berger is an English art critic, novelist, painter, and author. Through his individual discussions, Berger hopes to raise questions within the reader and apply the foundations learned in the book towards their own art. This book is composed of seven essays-four written essays and three pictorial essays. In this novel, Berger discusses traditional Western cultural aesthetics and the hidden ideologies within the world of visual arts. Ways of Seeing by John Berger is based upon the 1972 BBC four-part television serious of the same name. I recently wrote a review for this novel for my Theory and Criticism of Visual Arts class, so I figured, why not post it on here too? Since the entirety of the book discusses Berger’s philosophies within the world of art, I will be reviewing the book in its entire context, not simply its aesthetic qualifications. Cover page for "Ways of Seeing", written by John Berger (1972).