Don't stand so close to me in James Elkins et Maja Naef (eds.), What is an image?, Pensylvania State University Press, 2011 (original) (raw)

This paper examines the tension between viewing art as a material object versus as an image, particularly in relation to the concept of pictorial details. By referencing various art historians and theorists, the author discusses how getting closer to a painting can lead to a loss of meaning, as the viewer becomes isolated from the picture's intended experience. The exploration highlights the challenges of articulating the personal and intimate feelings evoked by a painting's materiality, as well as the societal norms governing the observation of art.