Good deeds

[pjthompson]

Random quote of the day:

 

“Gauguin, that curious artist, that alien whose mien and the look in whose eyes vaguely remind one of Rembrandt’s “Portrait of a Man” in the Galerie Lacaze —this friend of mine likes to make one feel that a good picture is equivalent to a good deed; not that he says so, but it is difficult to be on intimate terms with him without being aware of a certain moral responsibility.”

—Vincent Van Gogh, letter 626a, The Complete Letters of Vincent Van Gogh, Vol. 3, New York Graphic Society

 

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Mirrored from Better Than Dead.

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

It probably was genuinely Gauguin's belief, but another touching thing a person can do is make another feel that that person's own labors are worthwhile...

... I'm not being very clear.

What I mean is, here Van Gogh is saying that Gauguin made Van Gogh himself feel as if a good picture were equivalent to a good deed, which made Van Gogh feel responsible to make good pictures--but by sharing that belief with Van Gogh, Gauguin also validated Van Gogh's own life work of painting. By saying that a good painting is like a good deed, Gauguin was also reassuring Van Gogh of the importance, relevance, and moral worth of his efforts--and that, reassuring his friend like that--is also an act of kindness.

Blearghh, a lot of effort to make maybe a very small or self-evident point?

I also really like the picture you chose. Perfect in all possible ways.

[pjthompson.livejournal.com]

Thanks--and I think that's a very good point. I posted the entire passage because often this is truncated to "A good painting is equivalent to a good deed" and attributed to Van Gogh. The reality is more shaded than that and I wanted anyone who was interested to see that.

So interesting that two such tortured artists comforted one another, though, isn't it?

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. It makes me think about the strength of weak things. Out of misery can come consolation, and the act of comforting someone can help you yourself gain strength.