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Reading: W. Somerset Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence

January 9th, 2012 § 4 comments

 

Paul Gauguin’s Autoportrait avec portrait de Bernard, ‘Les Misérables’, oil on canvas, 1818

From W. Somerset Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence

To my mind the most interesting thing in art is the personality of the artist; and if that is singular, I am willing to excuse a thousand faults. I suppose Velasquez was a better painter than El Greco, but custom stales one’s admiration for him: the Cretan, sensual and tragic, proffers the mystery of his soul like a standing sacrifice. The artist, painter, poet, or musician, by his decoration, sublime or beautiful, satisfies the aesthetic sense; but that is akin to the sexual instinct, and shares its barbarity: he lays before you also the greater gift of himself.

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  • gary moon

    Love the quote above & it also rings true, if an artist no matter how good appears a technician, another artists even if not greater seems to be imbued with that artistic spirit we love to perceive, that is where are love goes. 

  • http://winstonsdad.wordpress.com/ stujallen

    I loved this when I read it Gina ,I m just eyeing a collection of his books in second hand shop just hope its still there when I get paid ,all the best stu

  • http://twitter.com/adikirilova adriana

    So? You like so far? 

  • http://twitter.com/adikirilova adriana

    So? You like so far? 

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