Written signage and reading practices of the public in a major fine arts museum

Abstract

Among the accepted ideas on the subject of the museography of fine arts, there is one that constantly recurs: visitors almost never read displayed texts. What is worse, their presence tends to distract visitors from the contemplation of masterpieces. Does the systematic observation of public behavior in a very large museum in Paris and interviews with small groups of French and foreign visitors confirm this suspicion? To answer this question, our team undertook two parallel series of investigations: one on the techniques employed in written signage design within this museum, and the other using observation and semi-directed interviews conducted with a random sample that distinguished between French and foreign visitors. Many categories of comments emerge from this research, all of which concern types of relationships between written signage and activities the public may undertake to appreciate works of art. This inquiry allows us to: (1) identify the elements of complexity in the museum's written materials; (2) describe the way these materials are used; and (3) understand the role they play in the social aspects of the museum visit.