The Artist's Love, Lost

[SilentCom]

So I had previously written a research paper on Vincent van Gogh and had found in one of his letters he had stated "L?amour de l?art fait perdre l?amour vrai" or essentially the love of art means the loss of real love. Van Gogh had taken this quote from some Richepin fellow, whom I am assuming is the French writer Jean Richepin.

I find Van Gogh/ Richepin's quote to be rather interesting because art is something that depicts beauty and wonder of both the natural world and the imagination. Art is also a means to depict the artist's perceived idea of perfection.

Therefore, could love of art diminish one's love of what is real? If so, is it better to love and pursue the ideal or love and pursue the actual?

 

[aba1]

I don't really agree but I can kinda see what hes getting at I mean I cannot pretend I haven't had my girlfriend sitting around doing her own thing because I am so into a piece.

 

[cthulhumythos]

i like art and am dismissive of romance, so maybe?

 

[intheweeds]

I think it doesn't diminish the love of what is real, only that truly throwing yourself into an art to a degree that you could be considered a professional usually makes your life into something that love real love will have a hard time getting into or flourishing in.

I think he's saying that he believes that true love of art is so all encompassing that the artist is likely to never find real love. Choosing art as a life means choosing to forego romantic love.

 

[Jordi]

Maybe he said it because he wasn't getting any recognition during his own life. I don't know much about it, but I do know that he only ever sold one painting. This to me would suggest that he was probably a poor man, that nobody thought really had any talent. Despite all this he lived for his art, which would probably make him about as popular with the ladies as any other wannabe artist social reject.

But yeah, I don't know. I guess being really really passionate about anything is bound to be bad for relationships, since you pour all of your time into that instead of your partner. I doubt if it matters if what you're passionate about is art, sports, or collecting stamps.

 

[HardkorSB]

So I had previously written a research paper on Vincent van Gogh and had found in one of his letters he had stated "L?amour de l?art fait perdre l?amour vrai" or essentially the love of art means the loss of real love. Van Gogh had taken this quote from some Richepin fellow, whom I am assuming is the French writer Jean Richepin.

I find Van Gogh/ Richepin's quote to be rather interesting because art is something that depicts beauty and wonder of both the natural world and the imagination. Art is also a means to depict the artist's perceived idea of perfection.

Therefore, could love of art diminish one's love of what is real? If so, is it better to love and pursue the ideal or love and pursue the actual?

I thought about this already. this may not be what Van Gogh meant but this is what I've came up with:
Art is infinite. An artist, if mastering his (I'm not going to do the politically correct him/her bullshit because it's just tiring craft for long enough, can create anything. Perfection can be achieved in art. Life isn't perfect, whether we like it or not. At some point, if the artist goes too much into his own art (or even other people's art) and falls in love with it, it's hard to change that. I mean, how could real imperfect life compare to the pure perfection of a masterpiece? Especially in the eyes of an artist who has devoted far more time to his art than to any living person? the artist would have to change his way of thinking in order to see the beauty of life again and it would be a slow process.
Maybe this will clear some thing up, maybe not.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

Van Gogh? The guy who cut off his ear and gave it to a prostitute? Yeah, I wouldn't take much life advice from that fellow.

Also, Real life > Art. Which doesn't mean art isn't valuable, but it isn't that important in the grand scheme of things. I think it is possible for someone to delve so far into art as to want it more than real life, but that just isn't healthy.

He cut it off as an apology because of an incident between him, her, and Paul Gauguin, another artist.

But on topic... if you dedicate your life to art as much as he did, I imagine you would, but I would not say that it removes your ability to love another person indefinitely.

 

[Blue_vision]

I think he's saying that he believes that true love of art is so all encompassing that the artist is likely to never find real love. Choosing art as a life means choosing to forego romantic love.

Perhaps. Though I'd say that it seems as though true art would let you love everything so much more, being able to see the beauty in the world which your art draws from.

But then again, I only do music so it's possible that that's incorrect.

 

[Chemical Alia]

I get what he means by that, but it sounds like melodromatic bullcrap. Van Gogh had emotional problems.