St. Patrick’s Cathedral

At the beginning of the semester, I visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, an experience that gave me a new understanding of artistry. My high school was a Catholic school, and we would often go to church services, but I never had a special feeling about church. However, when I walked into St. Patrick’s Cathedral, I felt that this church was incredibly solemn. As I walked into this church, I couldn’t help but wonder why I never felt anything special about church when I was younger, and what exactly is art? These questions are why I chose to talk about St. Patrick’s Cathedral. After some reflection, I have come to the conclusion that art is a collection of human emotions, and that what is necessary for people to be able to appreciate art is to be able to empathize with it. It’s like showing a Van Gogh painting to a three year old who might not say it’s beautiful at all. When I was a child, I viewed the church as a mediocre building. Over time, I’ve experienced more, and in the moments when I step into a church, I can understand what people are praying for, I can understand how powerful faith really is. As I understood this, the church was more than just a building; it held people’s prayers and faith. Solemnity is no longer just a word to describe a church, it transforms into an emotion that I can directly feel. Everyone understands art differently, and part of the reason may be because people resonate with art differently. Those who create art imbue it with emotion, and those who understand art need to feel it with emotion. These are some of the thoughts on art that I got after visiting St. Patrick’s Cathedral.