How Art can teach us How to love Ordinary
In this bustling age, where we are bombarded with tales of extraordinary lives, I find solace in the ordinary. Forgive me if I wax poetic. A quiet revolution is happening in the art realm — a revolt led by luminaries like Johannes Vermeer, Pieter de Hooch, and Caspar Netscher. They beckon us to cast aside the allure of luxury and recognize the profound beauty woven into the tapestry of everyday life.
Vermeer’s canvas was a simple street, not a majestic battlefield or a divine scene. It depicted ordinary folks engaged in the humblest activities: sewing, playing, and tending to the yard. In his strokes, he painted a world where virtue and talent thrived, not on grand stages but in the unadorned corners of our daily existence.
In his turn, De Hooch pointed his artistic lens at the seemingly mundane moments of the day — returning from the market, hanging out the washing, and organizing a cupboard. His brush whispered to us that the art of living lies in grand gestures and the gentle rhythm of daily chores.
And then there’s Netscher, who found splendor in the most unlikely places, like lace-making, a job often dismissed as dull and lowly. He reminds us that there’s nobility in every honest occupation, no matter how humble the pay.
Yet, the siren songs of modern media persistently lead us astray. Advertisements and movies regale us with dreams of sports cars, exotic vacations, and expansive kitchens carved from limestone. They conjure illusions of a life so abundant that, for most, it remains forever out of reach.
But Vermeer’s art offers a counterpoint, a delicate symphony that champions the skills and nobility inherent in parenting, maintaining enduring relationships, keeping a home in order, and shouldering the responsibilities of a seemingly unexciting job with a heart full of cheer. He teaches us that sanity and serenity can be found in the paradoxes and compromises of existence.
In Vermeer’s world, the ordinary is heroic in its own right. His strokes and hues resonate with the idea that there’s much to appreciate when we shed the shackles of prejudice and self-doubt. He encourages us to see the every day with fresh eyes, to gaze upon it with reverence and gratitude.
The clamor of society may urge us toward a life of extravagance. Still, Vermeer’s gentle revolution reminds us that the true meaning of life can be found in the seemingly ordinary. There is grace in embracing the present, cherishing the everyday artistry, and finding beauty in the humdrum.
So, as we navigate this tumultuous world, let us heed the whispers of Vermeer’s canvases. Let us dare to live with a newfound appreciation for the everyday, to recognize that our lives are not nearly worthless. In the embrace of the ordinary, we discover a life that is, in its own right, extraordinary.
