The Muse of Gold: Art Patronage Through the Ages

About the Book

In the development of artistic genius the part played by "inspiration" is enigmatic.  To be sure, Terpsichore, Calliope, and their seven sisters remain potent muses indeed; however, no artist--no sculptor, painter, writer, composer, or choreographer--will deny the crucial importance of the impetus that can be provided by the tenth muse, the Muse of Gold.

From "the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome" to the cathedrals of France and the skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur, architects have shaped the structures and were paid for their creative labors.  That has been the obvious and essential financial arrangement in every branch of the arts.  In earlier times the creators were usually anonymous; later they acquired personal recognition and fame.  Either way, they were generally comissioned by the ruler, the state, the church, or wealthy private citizens:  Pericles, Maecenas, Louis XIV, the Medici, the popes, and individuals like the Earl of Southampton and Peggy Guggenheim.

Of course the artist in any field in gratified by the appreciation of his work by an intelligent and perceptive audience.  But when appreciation is augmented by actual patronage, the artist''s pleasure becomes considerably keener.  For as the 18^th-century English novelist Tobias Smollett observed, "empty praise will not supply the cravings of nature, and merit alone will not bring success." Today patronage is corporate rather than personal, generally taking the form of grants and fellowships. And certainly the broadened financial recognition of merit has helped foster the talents of many more individuals than could be aided by the individual sponsors of yesteryear.  Yet there seems to be no proportionate increase in the number of artists of the caliber of Shakespeare, Mozart, Michelangelo, or Balanchine.

It often takes personal contact to ignite the flame of genius--or to keep it glowing.  Though both the artist and his patron lead their own private and separate lives, each of them can be deeply affected by the intersection of the two complementary individuals.  The Muse of Gold is an attempt to trace the steps by which that critical spark is transmuted into a vivifying force.

About the Author

David M. Glixon served as the editor and art director of The Limited Editions Club and The Heritage Club in New York City for twenty years, from 1956 to 1976, and from 1948 to 1953 assisted in producing the Story Classics editions of The Rodale Press in Emmaus, Pa.  He also contributed reviews of reference books to The Saturday Review, as well as conducting the magazine’s “Your Literary I. Q.” feature.

Among Glixon’s publishing credits are Long for the Stars: Poems, 1929-1991 and a verse translation of Jean de la Fontaine’s book-length poem Adonis.  In The Muse of Gold he traces the vital importance of patronage for literature, painting, sculpture, music, and ballet, from the classical period of Virgil to the present day.

Glixon was born in 1908 in Brooklyn, N. Y. Besides New York City he and his wife Helen have resided in Emmaus, Pa.; Ardsley, N. Y.; West Hartford, Ct.; and Lexington, Ky.  Their son Jonathan and his wife Beth, teach musicology at the University of Kentucky; our author’s daughter Judith is a concert cellist living in Waltham, Mass., with her husband and their daughter Rachel.

David and Helen Glixon have traveled extensively in the United States, England, Italy, and Germany. They have been avid frequenters of plays, concerts, ballet, and art museums.