I've only begun to read Eakins Revealed: The Secret Life of an American Artist, by art scholar Henry Adams, but it tells a related tale. Eakins was fired and ostracized for having revealed the genitalia of a male model to his female art students. Following his death an art scholar and early curator at the Whitney museum of art "air-brushed" Eakins life story which led to his art being lionized. It's a fascinating tale of duplicity on both sides of the coin.
Evelyn Waugh said that many people who are attracted to the teaching profession are probably sexually attracted to children because it’s the most notable reason why anyone would want to spend all of their time with children. I can’t remember where he said that. It might be in his memoir of his young life, where he teaches in a school and nearly commits suicide at the end. It’s a very bleak memoir. Obviously most school teachers are not pedophiles, but it would be absurd to stop reading a great comedic novelist because expressed an exaggerated opinion.
I continue to think that “should we separate the art and the artist” and “should we cancel artists who do immoral things or express vile political opinions” are different questions. But clearly cancellation culture is a very wicked thing. I’m sorry about the essay.
I’ve got a David Mamet cartoon which I keep meaning to have framed and put in the downstairs loo. I must get on with doing that. It says something like “we’re doing Oedipus sleeping with his mother every other night and every other night he’s sleeping with his father”. I’ve got an ambition to fill the downstairs Loo with cartoons, but it’s very difficult to select ones which won’t be unfunny in a couple of years time. I’ve got one framed in there, which was about Covid and it’s not just unfunny now it’s completely incomprehensible.
Excellent comment. That seems like something Waugh would say.
I once saw a cartoon in which a passerby says to a beggar, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be. – Shakespeare.” The beggar replies, “F—k you. —David Mamet.”
In regard to his comments, Wow, is all I have to say.
I've only begun to read Eakins Revealed: The Secret Life of an American Artist, by art scholar Henry Adams, but it tells a related tale. Eakins was fired and ostracized for having revealed the genitalia of a male model to his female art students. Following his death an art scholar and early curator at the Whitney museum of art "air-brushed" Eakins life story which led to his art being lionized. It's a fascinating tale of duplicity on both sides of the coin.
Interesting—and also telling whose bio gets airbrushed and whose gets the warts-and-all treatment.
The word “examine” in your email above is working double overtime.
Can’t tell if that’s a compliment or a jibe.
Oh, Dan. It’s a compliment. Here are all the wrong verbs for what one can do re: a work of art —
Judge, appraise, contextualize, survey, explain, “interpret,” construe, demystify, etc
You came to examine.
Wait—is this a jibe? Hahaha! Ty and I will remain away from “contextualize” for the near future.
Evelyn Waugh said that many people who are attracted to the teaching profession are probably sexually attracted to children because it’s the most notable reason why anyone would want to spend all of their time with children. I can’t remember where he said that. It might be in his memoir of his young life, where he teaches in a school and nearly commits suicide at the end. It’s a very bleak memoir. Obviously most school teachers are not pedophiles, but it would be absurd to stop reading a great comedic novelist because expressed an exaggerated opinion.
I continue to think that “should we separate the art and the artist” and “should we cancel artists who do immoral things or express vile political opinions” are different questions. But clearly cancellation culture is a very wicked thing. I’m sorry about the essay.
I’ve got a David Mamet cartoon which I keep meaning to have framed and put in the downstairs loo. I must get on with doing that. It says something like “we’re doing Oedipus sleeping with his mother every other night and every other night he’s sleeping with his father”. I’ve got an ambition to fill the downstairs Loo with cartoons, but it’s very difficult to select ones which won’t be unfunny in a couple of years time. I’ve got one framed in there, which was about Covid and it’s not just unfunny now it’s completely incomprehensible.
Excellent comment. That seems like something Waugh would say.
I once saw a cartoon in which a passerby says to a beggar, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be. – Shakespeare.” The beggar replies, “F—k you. —David Mamet.”