In Case of Emergency - Smash Glass and Grab the Rubens
Fascinating article in the Washington Post about how the curator of the National Gallery deals with choosing works for a disaster scenario. Since 1979 works have been stored in special emergency boxes. This requires the curator, Andrew Robison, to rank the works according to importance. Here’s how he decides:
“To merit inclusion in the box, each work gets a thorough going-over by Robison’s team. The first criterion is aesthetic: Is it pleasing to the eye, well-made in both concept and execution? Next, historic: does it say enough about when it was made and who made it? Of all the moments of human history to which art can transport us, is this one worth remembering? And then he has a more nebulous but convincing factor that Robison merely calls “power.” Of all the things that could be demonstrated with lines on paper, does this — through imagery alone — have a pronounced psychological impact? Does it change minds, just by viewing it?”
Admittedly, this is a subjective task, which begs the question - what criteria would you choose?
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