In 1954 the great French painter Henri Matisse died at the age of eighty-six.
In the latter years of his life, arthritis crippled and deformed his hands, making it painful for him to hold a paintbrush. Yet he continued to paint, placing a cloth between his fingers to keep the brush from slipping.
One day someone asked him why he submitted his body to such suffering. Why did he continue to paint in the face of such great physical pain?
Matisse replied, “The pain passes, but the beauty remains.”
(Anything of any considerable worth is the result of great strain be it in nature or human accomplishments. Diamonds are produced by nature under almost unimaginable heat and pressure. All the rest passes away but the brilliance and value of the diamond abides. To paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel Michelangelo had to remain for hours together in the same uncomfortable position inches away from the ceiling, straining his neck all the time. Nobody remembers the physical sufferings of Michelangelo, but everyone admires what he accomplished. A perfect example would be a mother going through the birth pangs. But once she has given birth to a new life, not even the mother thinks of the terrible experience she went through, but rejoices in the mere sight of her child. “Pain passes away; but the beauty remains.” Kaimlet)
Indian Thoughts Archives
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