A writing buddy of mine recently sent me an essay by Malcolm Gladwell comparing the lives of Picasso and Cezanne. (If you want to read the entire essay, click here.)
According to the author, Picasso was a prodigy -- a proficient and popular artist from an early age. His works that sell best at auction today were painted in his mid-twenties.
Cezanne, on the other hand, spent many years mastering his craft. He didn't have a natural gift for draftsmanship, and he spent a long time learning to draw, which he accomplished by painting the same subject over and over. He painted his dealer, Ambrose Vollard, 150 times before he got the result he wanted (or was willing to settle for). The paintings of his that bring the highest bids were done in his mid-sixties.
Are you a Cezanne or a Picasso?
By the way -- I won a "Post of the Week" award for Tuesday's post on One Thing I'm Thankful For, from the Comedy Goddess. If you're not a regular reader (and I suspect most of you are), go spend some time on her happy shores! She's the perfect antidote for your Black Friday blues.
I am both!
ReplyDeleteGreat article...and depends on what era of my life, as I did well with many mediums that sold well at certain times, but hubby just said Cezanne as he heard me reading this out loud to him...
ReplyDeletei think i have walked both of those trails at different points in my life as well...
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm definitely a Cezanne. Takes me a long time to master anything!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your mention from Comedy Goddess. I love her blog and she's so sweet.