He Was Hugely Influential. He Also Had a Foolish Streak.
A recent biography of the writer John Berger reminds us about his hefty influence—and how he could be blinkered by his convictions.
Giacomo Casanova, a 18th-century writer and libertine, believed that some people were merely uninformed, while others were conceited and insolent fools. He found fools particularly distasteful, describing them as conceited and insolent, and feeling foolish when in their company. John Berger, an influential novelist and art critic, shared this foolish streak, though he was far from being insolent or conceited.
Berger was best known for his 1972 TV series, Ways of Seeing, which challenged viewers to question the role of art, power, and advertising in society. The series, a collaboration with producer Mike Dibb, became an instant classic and has remained a cornerstone of art education for over 50 years. Berger’s charisma and earnestness were matched by his Marxist principles, which sought to educate people about capitalist systems and social rights.
His writing, both in essays and reviews, often emphasized the obvious but aimed to awaken the public to the injustices embedded in art and media. Berger’s personal life, including an affair during the writing of his Booker Prize-winning novel G., added a layer of complexity to his public persona. Despite the plodding and pedagogical style of some of his criticism, Berger’s influence on contemporary discourse remains profound.
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