The importance of knowing the context (including original site/ circumstances of art work)

Knowing the context contributes, and can also be necessary to understand the meaning of art.

For example, when I first saw "Guernica" by Picasso, I did not understand what the painting depicted. Only when I read of the bombing of Guernica could I experience the suffering that the painting depicted.

So knowing the context can inform us what the object of artwork is, and can help us understand it better