On the Greatness of Arnold Bocklin’s “Self Portrait With Death”

Art should raise the human spirit. It should elevate us into an ethereal plane…expanding our consciousness. It should give us the courage to fight! To never back down or regress into a stilted form. Art should make us feel like Roman soldiers. It should affirm the universal life essence of BEAUTY.

One painting that illustrates these ideas is Self Portrait with Death. It was created by the Swiss painter, Arnold Bocklin, in 1872.

The message is simple. The artist is proud and confident; and yet Death follows him everywhere. However, the great artist is not overcome with fear. Instead, he continues to pursue his lofty goal – the elevation of human beauty in the face of danger. By doing so, he becomes a GREAT MAN.

Let’s reaffirm the beauty of life! Let’s gather the rosebuds of exquisite passion…the blessings of passionate love. Let’s look into the mirror and see the becoming man, shedding his coat of insecurity.

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Rembrandt in the Digital Age

A picture tells a thousand words. This photo, taken at the impressive Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, shows the famous painting by Rembrandt, “The Night Watch”. We see a row of girls, typing away at their cell phones. A masterpiece of history, obscured by an Instagram like or a Facebook update.

I guess we should not bemoan the present. The digital age is here and we are immersed in it. No sense in being a Luddite and besmirching the new technologies. That being said, every coin has two sides. The implementation of a new system must, by its mere creation, obscure the work of an older one.

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You Should Preference the Man That Retains a Vital Force

In life, we see all types of men: young men of ability, middle-aged men with families, older men in contemplation. They all seem relatively equal. What is to distinguish one from the other? How do we know which one is superior?

I say that you preference men with a vital force. A man whose blood is still coursing through his veins. A man that exudes passion and has expelled the parasitic forces of complacency. In short, a GREAT MAN with an active spirit.

It’s too easy to reflect back…to ponder the deeds of our youth. “Remember when I was a somebody!” mutters the nobody. This type of nostalgia is to be frowned upon. The urgency of now is real, and only the brave will rise to meet the challenges of humanity.

Your inner circle should be filled with GREAT MEN. And more specifically, men with an active vital force. Ones that have an appreciation for natural beauty and artistic merit. Ones that respect the divine force of empiricism. Ones that believe the becoming man is worth more than a jealous pettifogger.

You should preference the man that retains a vital force.

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When You Have Nothing Beautiful Left to Give, Your Life is Over

When you have nothing beautiful left to give, your life is over.

GREAT MEN throughout history have known this. And this is why they’ve cast aside a life of sterile comfort, willing to die on the battlefield of truth. In the face of despair, they hoisted a noble sonata. In a world of duplicity, they confirmed a universal life essence.

We refuse to let all that is wonderful become incinerated in the ashes of futility.

The Satanic forces are watching. They’re ready to obliterate the first sign of natural beauty. They’re ready to lash out at a noble man, using calumny to denigrate his name. They’re ready to paint a mustache on the Mona Lisa.

And yet…we fight. We continue to evoke the highest order of the human spirit. We continue to channel the GREAT MEN of yesterday, waving our paint brushes of passion. And we continue to scale a Mount Everest within.

We don’t do it for commerce or public acclaim. And we don’t do it to feel loved. We do it because when you have nothing beautiful left to give, your life is over…

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