Have you ever had a painting show up at different times in your life when you needed it most? At Penn State in 1967, in the auditorium for Professor Jim Lord’s art history survey class, a large screen spanned the width of the stage. He would flash up slides from different artistic eras—some older, then more modern pieces. Some of the abstract art with splotched canvases were forgettable. One day he put up a painting by Albert Bierstadt. It remained on the screen longer than the others, giving 500 students a chance to drink it in. It was the most lifelike and immediately fulfilling piece of art I had ever seen. After a few more moments, Mr. Lord said that it was quite massive, so its presentation on his big screen did it justice. It made me feel something I had not known was within me. It reached into my …