Faldoni, parts 2860 - 2863

 2860. Take for example the painting I have been working on for the past many weeks, which is hardly begun.  I’m doing a still life, and not only am I painting the color of the wood, but also the gloss and the dust on the wood, and even the fingerprints in the dust, and the light as it plays on the very edges of the dust!

 2861. There is a cello in my painting and after three months of constant work, when I was half way done with the neck of the cello I took a break and went to look at pictures in a picture gallery.

 2862. In the gallery I saw a still life painting by some unknown artist. There was a guitar in the painting and the entire guitar was quickly painted with about ten rapid strokes of a fat bristle brush, loaded with paint. 

 2863. It was one of those virtuoso paintings where everything is simple, quick and perfect. I looked at it and felt myself go numb. Walking home I said to myself, “No matter how long I spend on the details of this picture of mine, it will never be as good as that picture I have just seen which has no details at all.”