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About this quote

What does it mean?
Bennett contrasts the public image of artists as human with the private reality that they can be difficult or inhumane at home.
In plain terms
Artists seem human publicly but not at breakfast.
What can you take from it?
Public image often hides private flaws.

Where it applies

  • discussing artist behavior
  • analyzing public vs private

Putting it to work

  • writing about biographies
  • managing expectations of artists

Questions to consider

  • Can art exist without difficult people?
  • Is public persona fake?

Another view

It generalizes all artists as difficult at home.

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