[wellpast]

Context is fundamental in the appreciation but I think it's much less about the artist's life per se (although that could enrich the experience & interpretation, depending), and more about your cultivated tastes with the medium.

Your experience of food, wine is a function of your prior experience (and -- most importantly -- interest) w/ food & wine. Never had much wine before (like me), and you'll shrug w/ indifference at every glass. But this is only (my) ignorance/lack of interest/etc. It's a lacking.

Likewise, if your experience engaging w/ a painting on canvas is limited and mostly of disinterest/disengagement then so much of any given painting is going to be lost on you. Not completely, but by a large margin it will be.

The last question about recognizing the painting as a masterpiece is a little misplaced or needs fleshing out... No one looks at a painting and categorizes it as masterpiece or not. What one does is look at a painting and is given an experience and range of emotion. If that emotion is intense -- eg, exhilarating or intriguing or aggravating -- then the next question will be -- do I think this is a universal reaction? (I.e., not idiosyncratic to me. Experience guides in answering this follow-up, of course.) Then, if so: does this artist have an agent? Could I be his/her agent (if you think about making $$ alot)? OR: surely this piece is already established its market, ie been established as a Masterpiece by prior or current culture. Anyway what strong emotion typically does in any flesh & blood human is inevitably send us racing after questions like these..