Heroes or Villains

It’s a muggy morning. I put out a couple of bird feeders because I’ll be sitting right here today. I dead-headed a gerbera daisies and marigolds and took trash out to the dumpsters. That was not strenuous work, but it didn’t take long to get sweaty. I forgot to put fresh water in the birdbaths, but I don’t feel like going back out right now. It’s supposed to rain anyway.

I just finished a book about Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas. Here again is another story which leaves me wondering why the world looks at some of these people as heroes. Lately, it seems all these readings are showing the darker sides of people the world sees as brilliant, as masters.

Yes, we see them now as masters, but while they were alive, they greatly struggled to make a living. They often survived only by the good will of family and friends. They were sometimes homeless and often went hungry, disheveled and were very poor. They were ridiculed for their work and many times the media humiliated them. They went through depression and self doubts. Yet they pushed on to do the work they loved in spite of all that. They got together with other artists to support one another… and to sometimes ridicule and degrade one another.  

They are revered and worshipped and upcoming artists strive to be like them. But, what of the truth of how they lived at the time? What kind of people were they? The stories may be shocking. Some of these artists treated their families, lovers, worshippers horribly. They were mean, spiteful, and so absorbed with their selves that little else mattered.

Most history writings do not tell us that. These people are painted (pun intended) as heroes. It’s look at the work and artist, not the person who is the artist. The world forgives the artists their faults because of their brilliance and it’s become the same throughout time. Once a person becomes famous, they can get away with being not-so-nice people and the history books too often build them up as heroes.  

What price is fame? Or was it fame at the time? Most of these “masters” were not world famous when they were alive, but they were making a name for themselves as they persevered in the craft. They were focused on what they wanted and yet, they were just men (and a few women) who were striving to follow a dream. They wanted to do things their way… just like most everyone. So, what made these artists so successful after they were dead? And are they any different than the successful people now-a-days?

I have to admit that, although I’ve been doing something in the artistic field my entire life, I have never formally studied art. I am only within the past few year reading biographies and looking at the truth of history behind all the media hype and what I am finding out, is not such a pretty picture. And here I’m widening the scope of the topic to include famous people in general and what I’m discovering is that I believe we are better off with the fairy tale heroes than the real-life heroes.

A few brilliant moments in life and a lot of media hype make a hero. Is that the truth? Who was that person really? Was he or she a nice person? How many people did they hurt on their climb to the top? The more I read, the more disappointed I am in our heroes. From George Washington and the whole slew of politicians and other countries’ leaders to writers like J.D. Salinger and artists like Degas and Pablo Picasso, there is not a one of them that I would worship.

It’s time we recognized people for who they are (or were.) We can celebrate their brilliance, but we also have to realize that no one is perfect and for every bit of brilliance, there is the other side.