Redtree Times

Jules Breton- Le Soir, 1880, Arnot Art Museum

I have always had a passion for the beautiful. If the man in me is often a pessimist, the artist, on the contrary, is pre-eminently an optimist.

—Jules Breton

This quote from painter Jules Breton (1827-1906) is a favorite which pleases me since the painting of his above, Le Soir (The Evening), was also a favorite of mine growing up.

It hung in our local museum, the Arnot Art Museum, and I would often stand in front of it after school when I was in the junior high school just several blocks away. The painting, with its wide beckoning horizon, has a glow and depth in its sky that isn’t captured in this photo. It always pulled me in.

As for his words, I certainly find some association with them. While I sometimes see myself as a bit cynical and misanthropic, my work is usually more aspirational and forward facing. 

Maybe it has to be that way in order to balance things out. Otherwise, I might not get out of bed in the morning. 

And I’m not ready for that…