Museums are for everyone (willing to be respectful)

When visiting the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. earlier this year I came, quite literally, face-to-face with some of the most shocking behavior I have ever seen in a museum.

When walking though halls adorned with masterpieces, you might have to come to terms with the fact that not everyone perceives these works of art or cultural treasures with the same significance that you do. And in doing so, you’ll likely become aware of the lack of museum etiquette on display alongside the art.

Let’s set the scene

I was making my way through one of the gallery spaces at this museum when I happened upon a man who was painting a copy of a piece of work. After a little research, I believe this was part of the National Gallery of Art’s Copyist Program. I had never seen this taking place in a space like this before and decided to take a photo of the works side-by-side, it was a truly remarkable replica.

Photo by Jordan | Sunriser Club | A man painting a copy of a piece of work in the museum

This gallery was not crowded in the slightest, plenty of room, and I had only been standing in this spot for a few moments, so imagine my surprise as a man steps in front of me, pushes me back and then processes to take a photo of the painter, just as I had.

Now maybe this was a compliment to my artistic eye, that I had the best perspective for…