“… art in England is profane or dead. Raphael?
Forgotten. Michelangelo? Not modern. Dear God!
Let us reject the truly great for making us look small.”
Haydon’s Rage
10 minutes · 1 man, 1 woman
Benjamin Haydon was a historical figure who was a friend of Keats, Wordsworth, and other prominent figures of the early 1800s. He was a painter who dedicated his life to following in the footsteps of the great masters of the past and fought against the trivialization of art in his own day. In this scene, he is painting the portrait of a shallow society patron, Lady Weatherly. He exchanges a few cold remarks to her, speaking mainly to the audience of his life and strivings. Driven to rage by Lady Weatherly and all she stands for, he dismisses her, destroys the portrait of her he has been working on, and in a fit of despair, kills himself.
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