It took me a while, but I think I've determined that the "episode" described in Aira's book actually happened. Rugendas's Wikipedia page doesn't mention the riding accident or subsequent handicap, but this bio does, so I guess Aira didn't just make it up (which was my initial impression).So what's the point of the story? What do we learn about this guy?
(Weird! I had read the Wikipedia page too and saw no reference to an accident! Why isn't there anything about it? The entry even mentions Aira's book. Strange.)
ReplyDeleteMaybe the point of the story is what you alluded to in your question about physiognomy.
ReplyDeleteThe artist's disfigurement was the pivotal moment in the book, but I'm not really sure how his art changed after the accident, except perhaps to become more urgent because the window to create had become so narrow with the nonstop pain and morphine-induced inactivity. The author says that his youth was lost at the moment of the lightning strike, so maybe his work from then on is to be considered a "mature" phase.
I think we're supposed to see him as incredibly strong-willed and as one with his artistic calling. Most people, after suffering an accident like that, would probably find little reason to keep struggling through life, but he was able to because his work was more important than his self-esteem. The author mentions his ancestor who lost a hand and had to learn to paint with the other. That's child play, he concludes: "If only he had been so lucky! What bilateral symmetry could he resort to, when the nerve was pricking at the very center of his being?"
Also, he always resisted the urge to dwell on himself. "Each time he took up his pencil he had to resist the urge to sketch himself." That's a strength, too: to skip over the central disturbing reality and remain outwardly oriented, focused on work.
Something that intrigued me about this character is that we are told what a prolific letter writer he was. "The treasure-trove of his letters reveals a life without secrets, yet somehow still mysterious."
Excellent points. It is remarkable, really, that he wanted to continue painting and traveling around the country when he could easily have given up and went back to Europe to convalesce.
ReplyDeleteI suppose this is typical of my literary preferences, but I wish we had been given more insight into the characters. Like maybe seeing more of his letters.