He does share his political views on capitalism and western society along with some Marxist ideology and even uses his platform to speak on inequalities and justice – when comparing two images of women multiple times in his book, he stated that women are looked at as objects, but continued on by pointing out hypocrisy within our world, “You painted a naked woman because you enjoyed looking at her,” wrote Berger, “Put a mirror in her hand and you called the painting ‘Vanity,’ thus morally condemning the woman whose nakedness you had depicted for you own pleasure.” It was quite apparent in the text that he was a supporter and had sympathy for the women’s movement, by interviewing an all-woman cast and discussing issues such as empowerment.

When first published in 1972 after his BBC show -he shocked people with his perspective on viewing and understanding art but is Ways of Seeing still useful and readable today? In my opinion yes, because he uses his platform to speak on injustices and civilization that were occurring at the time, he changes regulated ways of thinking, and most of his claims or ideas are still accurate and can be applied to human brains today. His essay “Ways of Seeing” is widely known by acclaimed artists and university students. John Berger is a novelist, poet, art critic and painter.

John bergers way of seeing