What happened to the genuine artists?
The Pietà
True or false?
Who is a genuine artist? How can one define a genuine artist? Certainly someone endowed with a natural talent can be considered a genuine artist. However, an artist's talent ought to be developed and perfected via constant practice and contemplation. For one must strive for perfection to produce a ripe fruit. "The tree is known by its fruit," professed Jesus Christ; so is a genuine artist. The inspiration to create comes from within. A contemplative mind has no limits. It stretches far to accomplish its desires as a bird stretches its wings to fly.
A genuine artist does not care about his/her fame, personal and material gain, but only his/her works. The fruits of an artist's labor designate his/her achievements, opening a door to greater happiness that lies in creativity. For only one who truly loves art can become a genuine artist. The gift to create comes from God; love comes from within.
The contemporary art is nothing but a falsification or fabrication of the "ancient" ideas, symbols, and masterful renditions of images performed by true artists. Since no one can surpass Leonardo's perfection of technical execution, he can be considered the climax of artistic achievements.
However, an artist as Doré achieved perfection in lithography and therefore became the number one illustrator of written stories and verses. Not only the perfect execution of each subject delineated by him, but also his imagination incorporated into rendered tales can be considered the summit of artistic excellence.
One may argue that Michelangelo was the greatest artist who ever lived. But there is no proof that he was the one who created all the masterpieces of sculpture attributed to him. Someone of his character, as described by his contemporaries, could not have had enough patience to carve the famous Pietà. His name inscribed into Mary's garment is de facto a contradictory testimony leading to the conclusion that he was not the executioner of the Pietà. Since he had not inscribed his name into other sculptures attributed to him, the question arises, "Who was the mysterious artist who achieved perfection in three-dimensional renditions of his subjects and intellectual perfection of their representations?" The same can be asked about the frescos of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which were created by someone of extraordinary patience and physical strength.