That is one of the things museums do, the curators put things in the museum because they think people should look at it (the act of which of course becomes part

That is one of the things museums do, the curators put things in the museum because they think people should look at it (the act of which of course becomes part of it). Suppose you picked up a book on real analysis without understanding basic arithmetic. Would it be the fault of the author that you didn't understand what you were looking at? Would they have done something wrong? One way to think about art is that each piece is made at a point in time but is participating in a long din of conversation(s). If you don't understand the general arc of the conversation (or at least the conversation going on right around you), you will miss some of the aesthetic value of any piece. This is as true of Michelangelo as it is of Barnet Newman even if you have more context-free aesthetic/technical appreciation for Michelangelo's work. Most museums also have docents which are usually more than happy to talk about various pieces.