Ways of Seeing by John Berger

Ways of Seeing by John Berger

John Berger’s "Ways of Seeing" (1972), based on his BBC television series, is one of the most influential books in the history of art criticism and visual literacy. It is a radical departure from traditional art history, which often focused on "genius" and "beauty." Instead, Berger uses a Marxist-sociological lens to argue that how we see is never neutral—it is always filtered through power, class, and gender.

The book is unique in its structure, consisting of seven essays—three of which are purely visual (images only)—to prove that "seeing comes before words."

1. The Mystification of Art

Berger begins by challenging the "experts" who try to wrap art in a shroud of mystery.

• The "Gaze": He argues that we don't just "look" at a painting; we "see" it through a set of assumptions about what art is supposed to be.

• The Role of Reproduction: Before cameras, a painting was a unique physical object. Now, through photography and digital media, an image can be anywhere at once.

• The Consequence: This "mechanical reproduction" (a concept borrowed from Walter Benjamin) destroys the "aura" of the original work, allowing it to be used for politics or advertising.

2. "The Surveyor and the Surveyed" (Gender)

One of the most famous chapters analyzes the Male Gaze in Western art. Berger makes a sharp distinction between how men and women are depicted:

• Men Act, Women Appear: Men are judged by the power they exercise; women are judged by how they are seen by others.

• The Nude vs. The Naked: Berger argues that a "nude" in European oil painting is not a person being themselves; she is an object being offered to the (male) spectator.

• Internalization: He posits that women have been taught to watch themselves being watched—effectively splitting their identity into the "surveyor" and the "surveyed."

3. Oil Painting and Property

Berger provides a materialistic history of the oil painting medium (roughly 1500–1900).

• The Texture of Wealth: Oil paint’s unique ability to render "tangibility"—the shine of silk, the weight of gold, the texture of fur—made it the perfect medium for the ruling class.

• Art as a Receipt: A painting wasn't just a window into a world; it was a wall that showed what the owner owned. Even a landscape was often a record of the owner's real estate.

4. Publicity and Envy (Modern Advertising)

In the final essay, Berger links the tradition of oil painting to modern Publicity (advertising).

• The Goal of Adverts: Advertising doesn't sell a product; it sells a "future self" who will be happier because they bought the product.

• Manufacturing Envy: Publicity works by making us feel inadequate in our present state. It creates "glamour," which Berger defines as the state of being envied.

• The Link to Art: Advertisements often use classical art references to lend a sense of "prestige" and "timelessness" to disposable consumer goods.

5. Summary of Core Concepts

6. Technical Craft: The Visual Essays

As someone interested in the architecture of writing, you might appreciate how Berger broke the "rules" of the book format:

• Wordless Essays: By including chapters that are only images, he forces the reader to experience his argument visually rather than just logically.

• Typography: The original 1972 design used a heavy, bold typeface that started on the very front cover, signaling that this was not a "polite" academic text, but a manifesto.

The Big Takeaway

"The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled. Seeing is an act of choice."