Do you recognize this painting?:
Correct! The Mona Lisa by Leonardo. Have you seen the original in the Louvre? If so, had you seen reproductions of it before you visited the museum? And, if you had seen reproductions of it before visiting, did it make experiencing the original that much more memorable, more so than when you saw other, less familiar works in the museum? If you answered “yes”, what you experienced by seeing the reproduction before experiencing the original is known as the “a priori.” The a priori suggests that if you study something in imitation before seeing the original, you will have a richer experience when viewing the “real thing.”
In the tradition of the a priori, I have enclose photographs here of two of the artworks that will be on display at my Open Studio. The purpose of the Open Studio is to celebrate the completion of the commission of six large scale paintings that I am working on for the State of New Hampshire, specifically the Philbrook Center in Concord.
By viewing these paintings in imitation, I am hopeful that you will enjoy seeing the originals that much more. And, you can impress any guest you may want to bring to the Open Studio by telling them “I know that painting, I’ve seen it a priori!
