Please take a moment and listen to a wonderful Tedtalk by Benjamin Zander before proceeding further with this essay question. The topic is classical music, and at one point the speaker asks the audience to think about someone who they loved that has died while listening to the piece of music he plays.  This automatically initiates an emotional reaction to the music because it is placed in context. An emotional response by the viewer is one of the reasons artists create art, music, and theatre.  An emotional response is also the reason why many viewers seek to experience art – in order to be moved, to feel.

For this essay question, share an emotional response that you have had to any piece of art, music, or theatre. You don’t need to confine your visual art selection to imagery from our textbook. What was the reason for your emotional response? Did the formal qualities of the artwork remind you of something from your past, for example? Please post images or links to music when possible.  

Fichner-Rathus – Understanding Art, 11th Edition