This is a very sad story, Thalia. It reminds me of what happened when Gustav Mahler’s wife Alma had an affair with Bauhaus architect Walter Gropius in 1910. Although he sought help from Sigmund Freud and eventually got Alma back, Mahler became seriously ill and died in May 1911. When the heart is sick, the body gets sick too. Was Mahler crushed—or crucified—by his wife’s affair?
I’ve heard it said that sexual infidelity is an act of violence. Your story reminds me that sometimes independence is only won by violence. But you wisely observe that such acts are always followed by consequences.
I’ll be thinking of this story for a while. Thanks for writing it. I didn’t know of Hugo and Emma till now.
Andrew- You’re absolutely spot on when it comes to heart, mind, and body. They’re all related and it’s hard to separate. Hope you’re well in your neck of the woods? 🙏
Themes of vanity, ego and our human capacity for ignorance of consequences and our capacity to inflict pain on others are all here.
There is little doubt of the good intentions in building a small white building on a cliff but is the intention a misplaced loftiness?
I find your illustration of temperature swings in buildings at different elevations a very interesting illustration in this story of the symbolic instability between sky and the trickery of water where the failings of human judgement ripple.
Another masterful piece Thalia!
And…your illustrations are a wonderful signature to your work.
Taylor- You’re absolutely on point about Narcissus. Admiration of reflection of the self that turns into obsession of the reflection; which then overpowers the care for the real thing. And thank you for your kind words. I do hope you’ve had a lovely week, Taylor? 🙏
This is a very sad story, Thalia. It reminds me of what happened when Gustav Mahler’s wife Alma had an affair with Bauhaus architect Walter Gropius in 1910. Although he sought help from Sigmund Freud and eventually got Alma back, Mahler became seriously ill and died in May 1911. When the heart is sick, the body gets sick too. Was Mahler crushed—or crucified—by his wife’s affair?
I’ve heard it said that sexual infidelity is an act of violence. Your story reminds me that sometimes independence is only won by violence. But you wisely observe that such acts are always followed by consequences.
I’ll be thinking of this story for a while. Thanks for writing it. I didn’t know of Hugo and Emma till now.
Andrew- You’re absolutely spot on when it comes to heart, mind, and body. They’re all related and it’s hard to separate. Hope you’re well in your neck of the woods? 🙏
Many parallels to the myth of Narcissus.
Themes of vanity, ego and our human capacity for ignorance of consequences and our capacity to inflict pain on others are all here.
There is little doubt of the good intentions in building a small white building on a cliff but is the intention a misplaced loftiness?
I find your illustration of temperature swings in buildings at different elevations a very interesting illustration in this story of the symbolic instability between sky and the trickery of water where the failings of human judgement ripple.
Another masterful piece Thalia!
And…your illustrations are a wonderful signature to your work.
Taylor- You’re absolutely on point about Narcissus. Admiration of reflection of the self that turns into obsession of the reflection; which then overpowers the care for the real thing. And thank you for your kind words. I do hope you’ve had a lovely week, Taylor? 🙏