Risking It All

To what lengths would you go for art? Do you live, breathe, exist for art?
I saw a piece on television about a group of men who, during World War II, risked everything to preserve great works of art and keep them out of harms way during Hitler's nefarious reign. There is also a book written by Robert Edsel called Rescuing Da Vinci (there's the picture at the right) I haven't had the opportunity to read it yet, but it has some really good reviews. These approximately 400 enlisted and civilian men and women formed an organization called Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Program, or The Monuments Men for short. Comprised of members from the countries of France, Russia, China, Britain and the United States, they sought out priceless works that had been stolen by Hitler's army or hidden away for safekeeping. Upon finding a treasure, they spent countless hours cataloguing, removing and packing, and safeguarding the works. Some of the plundered pieces include works by Michelangelo, Jan Van Eyck, Da Vinci, Bellini, and Botticelli.
Can you imagine not having these master works to receive inspiration from? I can't.
If not for the bravery of these men and women, we may not have the privilege of looking upon a Da Vinci or Van Eyck. Can you imagine never having seen David's veined hand or Mona Lisa's smile?
After the war, many members became employed, and became involved in building, some of the greatest art museums in the United States. The National Gallery of Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art are just two such institutions.
So go out on that limb, take a risk. It will probably not be required of you to go to the incredible lengths The Monuments Men did. But you can do little things; teach a child watercolor, show an older person how to take a digital photograph. All these things add up, and can have a positive impact on our world.