Martin Cooper of Bromley, London, writes to share a change of heart regarding visitors who photograph artworks in galleries. He admits to having been irritated by such behaviour in the past, until he found himself compelled to do the same.
During a visit to Tate Britain’s The Exhibition Age gallery, Cooper noticed that paintings were hung without obvious labels, as they might have been in an 18th-century Royal Academy exhibition. Initially disappointed by the works, he was stopped in his tracks by a dark painting titled A School by John Opie.
Cooper was overwhelmed, mistaking the piece for a Rembrandt. The painting depicted an elderly woman hearing a child read, and her expression conveyed a depth that moved him deeply. He felt he had discovered an inspiring work he had never heard of and wanted to possess it, also noting that the woman reminded him of his late mother.
Reflecting on his experience, Cooper says he will no longer judge fellow visitors who feel similarly moved by a piece of art.
