Many museum visits move quickly, from gallery to gallery. What happens when you slow down and truly look at an artwork, taking time to appreciate all of its nuances? On journeys with Museum Travel Alliance lecturer Rika Burnham, she invites you to delve deeply into masterpieces by famous artists, one at a time. Rika calls this practice “close looking,” allowing the artist’s vision to unfold under your scrutiny through guided discussion.
An art historian with decades of experience, Rika has led educational programs at institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Frick Collection, and the Art Institute of Chicago. She is also the co-author of Teaching in the Art Museum: Interpretation as Experience, highly regarded as a seminal text for art museum educators and docents in training.
But what, exactly, is a close look? And how does it differ from a traditional museum tour? We asked Rika to explain what travelers can expect through this practice.
Arrangements Abroad: How do “close looks” differ from other museum tours?
Rika Burnham: The close looks are an immersive, audience-based way of looking at works of art, one artwork at a time. We study all aspects of a selected work of art, from its history to its visual language to how it manifests the ideas of its time. Our focused looking and shared discussion encourage each artwork to come alive, as we begin a deeper conversation with the work and its creator.
AA: How are these typically set up?
RB: As a group, we sit in front of a work of art, and it slowly unfolds under our scrutiny and investigation. Close looks are best when done in quiet galleries.
AA: When that work of art is chosen, how do you develop your approach for leading the conversation?
RB: That’s a really important question. Research is at the heart of a close look, and it takes many years of practice to anticipate what people will see, question, and want to know. How we understand a particular work of art now is not the same way it was understood 50 years ago or necessarily when it was made. Art historical context is critical, as is an understanding of visual phenomena and contemporary art conservation practices.
AA: How do you feel that these close look sessions enrich the trip as a whole?
RB: A close look is a marvelous thing! It becomes the heart of the trip and a focal point for people who want to go deeply into an artwork. The people who join are very intentional about their interest and their love of art.
AA: Are there any skills a guest may develop through participating in these special guided discussions?
RB: Yes! Participants learn to understand how a painting works, and you learn to understand the ebbs and flows of attention in looking at a work of art. You also learn to appreciate that each participant in the close look has something different to offer. You’ll often find that what the person sitting next to you sees is different from what you have seen in that same piece.
AA: Is there anything that you feel travelers should know to prepare for these close look trips?
RB: Bring an open mind, an open heart, a curiosity about art, and the belief that what each of us sees in an artwork is what matters.
Experience these close look discussions with Rika Burnham for deeper insights into great works of art in the world’s major galleries. View our trips page to see where Rika will lead her next art-focused adventures.
Written by Arrangements Abroad staff
