The Heavy Burden of Talent

— Starting this investigation, — Messire sat in the armchair, — I did not expect how complicated it would turn out to be.

— Complicated? — Azazello, standing nearby, asked with surprise, — for you?

— Even for me, — Messire shook his head, — yes, my friend, imagine that, even for me!

— I don't quite understand, — Azazello said respectfully, — what goal were you pursuing, what were you trying to find out?

— What goal? — Messire said thoughtfully, — a complex question. I wanted to understand human souls, to understand how people think, and to try to comprehend their actions. I decided to study a group of people, similar to each other in time and place of residence, profession, talent, and figure out what they have in common and whether there are any differences. For this, creative people, such great Masters of the Renaissance as Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Raphael Santi, Michelangelo Buonarroti, were best suited. They lived and created at the same time, knew each other, were all united by great industriousness, fanatical devotion to art and, of course, divine talent. But, for comparison and a deeper investigation, — Messire thoughtfully continued, — I needed a Master from another country and era, a representative of another art school, and I chose the brilliant artist of the "Golden Age" of Dutch painting, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, who lived a century later than the Florentines. But even this was not enough and I decided to introduce into my study another Master, radically different from them not only in his professional school, but, more importantly, in his character and lifestyle. Leonardo da Vinci - engineer, scientist, architect, inventor! Raphael Santi - aesthete, lover of glamour and women! Michelangelo Buonarroti - workaholic, ascetic! Sandro Botticelli - modest, shy, monogamous! Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn - lover of life, happy husband! What do they have in common? What, besides art, unites them? I had no answer and decided to play on contrast and introduced another Master into the investigation, radically different from everyone not only in professional school, but in character and lifestyle - Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio! He was distinguished by his violent, unpredictable character, rudeness, drunkenness, contempt for the laws, propensity for violence and even murder, descending to the very bottom of life, but, at the same time, remaining a great Master of painting.

— Yes, — Azazello shook his head, — these are great Masters, and I understand how difficult your communication with them was.

— Communicating with people is always difficult, — Messire shook his head, — especially with artists. But, I tried to help the Masters - for Leonardo da Vinci I found a model for the apostle Judas, I returned Fornarina to Raphael Santi, I sent Michelangelo Buonarroti to the "Last Judgment", helped Sandro Botticelli resolve doubts that tormented him for many years and finally make the necessary changes in the painting "Adoration of the Magi", sent Rembrandt to the future, where he enjoyed his triumph and returned his beloved wife Saskia to him. But with the unpredictable lifestyle of Caravaggio, even I had difficulties. He did not need my help and all that I did for him in his life was to help him escape from prisons in Malta and Porto Ercole. All these artists are people with difficult destinies, — Messire sat in the armchair again, — and I know this well, because I followed them all my life. They had a lot in common, regardless of the time and place of residence - the lack of peace and family happiness, stability and, finally, exhausting, hard, all-consuming labor. They had no families, no children either. Only Rembrandt had a short period of family happiness, but after the death of his wife and only son, it quickly ended in collapse. Of course, Caravaggio's life differed from the lives of the other artists by an endless series of scandals, fights, prisons, but even with such a lifestyle, he created and painted masterpieces. When the time came, — Messire looked into the distance, — the artists left this mortal world and went into eternity, where I met them.

— And how did your meetings end? — Azazello asked with interest, — what did you talk about?

— We talked about their destinies, creativity, legacy, — Messire shook his head, — unfulfilled hopes, lost opportunities, unrequited love. We talked about life! And then, — Messire said thoughtfully, — I made them an unusual offer - I offered them to live one more, new life.

— A new life? — Azazello was amazed, — how is that possible?

— Yes, — Messire continued, — I gave them the opportunity to choose their destiny and build another life themselves. But, — Messire paused, — I had one condition.

— And what was it? — Azazello asked quietly.

— You need to forget about your former life as an artist, — Messire answered, — give up the heavy burden of talent, which only complicated their existence, and live the life of an ordinary person. Have a family, children, a normal profession, a peaceful, secure old age and die surrounded by loving family and friends. To each of them I handed a pencil, a piece of paper and said:

— You have the night to think. Write down how you would like to live another, new life and I will fulfill all your wishes.

— And what happened in the morning? — Azazello asked excitedly, — what did they write?

— What did they write? — Messire sighed and smiled, — they painted pictures! Pictures, and nothing more. And it became clear to me what they had in common and what united them: THEY DID NOT WANT ANOTHER LIFE! A comfortable, quiet and secure life where there is no creativity was not needed for them. They did not want to part with the "Heavy burden of talent"! They wanted to create! Messire shook his head and thoughtfully continued, — then I decided to give new life not to them, but to their paintings. So that people would learn how these masterpieces were created, how much titanic labor the Masters put into creating a miracle, so that descendants would look at and evaluate the works of geniuses in a new way, those who did not want to part with the "Heavy burden of talent" for the sake of a comfortable life.

— And for what purpose did you send the artists to Malta, — Azazello asked, — is this part of your plan?

— No, — Messire smiled, — this has nothing to do with the project. To get a group portrait of the great Masters with their favorite models, made by "Camera Obscura" - agree, this is a good compensation for my work, isn't it? Yes, and the artists had a little fun, although they didn't like it there, especially old Buonarroti. In his opinion, the girl pestered him and hugged him too much, and he didn't like it even during his life. By the way, I kept their drawings for myself too, — Messire sighed, — as a keepsake. There are many other masterpieces in the world and I think that humanity will not become poorer.