{"product_id":"15043-saint-saens-camille-that-is-the-agony-of-true-artists-autograph-letter","title":"Saint-Saëns, Camille. (1835-1921) \"That is the agony of true artists\" - Autograph Letter","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eHighly interesting autograph letter from the important French composer, written in the last year of his life and offering words of both encouragement and gentle rebuke to a fellow artist, apparently a painter and a friend of the composer. May 23, 1921. Apparently responding to his correspondent's complaint that he is not satisfied with his work, Saint-Saëns writes: \"You are pursuing an ideal which you will never attain [...] That is the agony of true artists. Ah, you wanted to be more than everyone else, you wanted to create, to attain the prize on top of the greasy pole! You will never reach it. This is the punishment for our pride, but let us console ourselves! Those who are always content with themselves never go far.\" He continues by quoting one of his own poems, \"Le Pays Merveilleux,\" dedicated to his student Albert Périlhou in his 1890 collection \u003ci\u003eRimes familières\u003c\/i\u003e, and goes on to mention the comparison of two portraits by Ingres and Picasso, in \u003ci\u003eLe Matin\u003c\/i\u003e: \"And in music it is the same thing! But as the public cannot read music, we cannot show it to them.\" Full translation below. 2 pp. 8.25 x 10.5 inches. Hermine water-mark.  One vertical and one horizontal crease, left margin with old staple holes and .25\" closed tear. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eTranslated from the French, in full:\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\"As for me, my dear great painter, I am of the opinion that 5 plus 1 francs are not too much to learn that you are an 'unwitting musician.' You are pursuing an ideal which you will never attain. Who are you saying this to? I have started to write again, and what I am doing seems to me as usual so far from what I would like to be doing. That is the agony of true artists. Ah, you wanted to be more than everyone else, you wanted to create, to attain the prize on top of the greasy pole! You will never reach it. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eThis is the punishment for our pride, but let us console ourselves! Those who are always content with themselves never go far. '.... The frustration \/ Of the human soul is the eternal martyrdom, and of their foolish pride the eternal punishment.'\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eSo, a long time since, said a musician who is very fond of you, you and your works, and who at that time, not making music, distracted himself by writing verse.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eOnly, instead of \"of the human soul,\" he should have said \"the artist's soul,\" because most mortals are content with very little, ideally.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eHave a look in today's \u003ci style=\"\"\u003eLe Matin\u003c\/i\u003e at the comparison between two portraits, one by Ingres and the other by M. Picasso!\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eAnd in music it is the same thing! But as the public cannot read music, we cannot show it to them. \u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eWhat painter \u003cspan style=\"background-color: white;\"\u003ewill be needed to [...] \u003c\/span\u003eat the Academy?\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eYour old accomplice and good friend,\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eC. Saint-Saëns.\"\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr style=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr style=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Schubertiade Music and Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46093570211999,"sku":"15043","price":850.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/4826\/7423\/files\/Saint-Saens_ALS_15043_002.jpg?v=1722188909","url":"https:\/\/www.schubertiademusic.com\/products\/15043-saint-saens-camille-that-is-the-agony-of-true-artists-autograph-letter","provider":"Schubertiade Music and Arts","version":"1.0","type":"link"}