Ear Today, Gone Tomorrow: Van Gogh’s Guide to Artistic Failure
5/5/202633 min
If you’re an artist, when would you like recognition to strike? Do you want it to be in your lifetime, only to be forgotten decades after your death? Or do you want to remain undiscovered, with your story potentially echoing for centuries after you’ve been discovered posthumously? These are some of the thorny questions Dan and Elizabeth consider in this episode about artistic failure. Together, they trace the stories of artists whose lives don’t neatly match up with the reputations their works have gathered: French writer George Sand, and the painters Vincent Van Gogh, and Artemisia Gentileschi. Each artist presents a differing experience of the kaleidoscope that is artistic failure: Van Gogh and Gentileschi suffered great personal anguish yet have given the world canonical paintings, while Sand was one of the most popular novelists of the 19th century – only to be cast out of the canon in the next century. So what would you rather: Acclaim now, or acclaim posthumously? – As always, Dan’s royal favourites can chime in anytime on the royal court on Patreon at patreon.com/thisishistory. And don’t forget to listen to this season’s accompanying bonus episodes for this miniseries, where Dan and Producer Al are dissecting the biggest historical failures as submitted by the royal favourites. In this episode, they discuss a potential research fail about Battle of Hastings, what happens when failure is lost in translation, and what American Reconstruction can teach us about historical failure. – A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices –– Presented by Dan Jones and Elizabeth Day Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman Researcher - Phoebe Joyce Executive Producer - Louisa Field Executive Producer - Dan Jones Executive Producer for Daylight Productions - Elizabeth Day Production Manager - Jen Mistri Production Coordinator - Eric Ryan Head of content - Chris Skinner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsElizabeth Day· Host0:00
So we're talking about artistic failure this week, Dan.
Dan Jones· Host0:03
Yeah.
Elizabeth Day· Host0:04
Do you consider yourself a work of art?
Dan Jones· Host0:06
[laughs] Uh, it's not for me to say. This would be for others to make that decision. Um, I mean, I've had my, my portrait painted once or twice. You must have had your portrait painted.
Elizabeth Day· Host0:16
I have, yes.
Dan Jones· Host0:17
Have you? Who painted yours?
Elizabeth Day· Host0:19
The first time I ever had my portrait painted, it never got completed because I was gifted it by my ex-husband, but b- it took so long [laughs] that by the time we'd got divorced- [laughs] ... the portrait still wasn't completed, so I've never seen what happened to it.
Dan Jones· Host0:34
Right.
Elizabeth Day· Host0:34
And one was Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, which is the most incredible experience.
Dan Jones· Host0:38
Mm.
Elizabeth Day· Host0:38
Have you done that, Dan?
Dan Jones· Host0:39
Not yet, but, uh, I imagine it'll, it'll come along before too long.
Elizabeth Day· Host0:42
It's a matter of time. [laughs] But it's this really special experience where you sit for four hours and- Yeah ... some people listen to music, but you obviously can't read anything unless you're willing to stick to that pose.
Dan Jones· Host0:55
Right.
Elizabeth Day· Host0:55
And I decided just to sit with nothing, and it was actually very meditative. And three- Wow ... artists drew or painted or etched my portrait, and then you get to choose your favorite one. And the favorite one that I chose was by this terrific artist called Morag Keister- Yeah ... who then went on to win the whole thing, and now has a portrait of Lenny Henry hanging in the National Portrait Gallery. And- Hold on.
Dan Jones· Host1:20
Stop you right there.
Elizabeth Day· Host1:21
[laughs] But I got my portrait, so I get to keep my portrait.
Dan Jones· Host1:25
Okay.
Elizabeth Day· Host1:25
And then it's quite big, and so then you're in the quandary of where do I put it in my