John Berger and the Art of Looking - New York Times Magazine Article Review

We encounter thousands of images every day, yet how many do we truly stop to look at? British art critic John Berger (1926–2017), best known for ‘Ways of Seeing’, reminds us that seeing is not the same as paying attention. Our experiences, beliefs, and memories shape how we interpret what we see. In his essay ‘Between Two Colmars’, Berger describes visiting the Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald in 1963 and returning ten years later. Although the artwork remained unchanged, his experience of it transformed from despair to hope. His changing perspective demonstrates how our personal histories influence our encounters with art. Berger’s ideas are particularly relevant in the digital age, when endless scrolling encourages us to move rapidly between images without reflecting on their meaning. We see more but may understand less. For Berger, looking is an active process involving curiosity, interpretation, and emotional engagement. Art asks us to pause, observe, and discover meanings beyond the immediately visible. Perhaps Berger’s most valuable lesson is that attention is a way of engaging with the world. In an age of constant distraction, learning to look carefully is also learning to appreciate, understand, and remember. The question is not how many images we see, but how deeply we engage with them. Based on an article by A. O. Scott, published in The New York Times Magazine on October 18, 2026: ⁠“The Man Who Taught Us How to Pay Attention”.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/18/magazine/john-berger-attention.html