When I first laid eyes on Gérôme’s Bacchante, I felt a kinship and I fell in love with her immediately. I had never seen such a figure, a perfect emanation of both sensitivity and stubbornness. I lifted her from the murky shades and planted a tropical flower on her horns. She became my emblem for my poetry and collage practice, which I had baptised with the name Tender Rebellion. Everything came together so well then, and she continues to inspire me. Even when the focus of my creative practice started to shift, I didn’t want to lose sight of what Bacchante represented to me. So this is an explanation of sorts.
In a way this painting represents the dichotomy of the Academic painter’s life. On the one hand Jean-Léon carefully painted in the appropriate style dictated by the French Academy, so that his works with their classical subjects won medals for their Neo-Grec perfection. On the other, according to a student of his called John Milner, Gérôme’s atelier was the most riotous and lewd of all the studios at the Beaux-Arts.
The students experienced unusual initiation ceremonies that involved cutting each other's canvases, hurling students down stairs and out of windows, and placing them on overturned stools. They even arranged fencing matches on the model's podium, all while being naked and using paintbrushes filled with paint.
They could be said to enjoy a hedonistic lifestyle. Drinking and partying was commonplace, so is it any surprise that Gérôme would paint a model or actress dressed up as a priestess of the Greco-Roman God Bacchus? Perhaps it was a dig at the Academy. Hedonism is mostly understood in this way, but the philosophical concept that originated in ancient Greece and can be traced back to the works of Epicurus and Aristippus among others, has been misinterpreted by later cultures.
Yes, it is possible to be a hedonist even if you don't enjoy parties, alcohol, and drugs. While those activities are commonly associated with hedonism, the core idea of hedonism is the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Hedonism is a philosophical approach that places pleasure and happiness as the ultimate goals in life.
Hedonism does not prescribe specific activities or pleasures that one must engage in to be considered a hedonist. It recognises that different individuals find pleasure in different things. For some people, pleasure may come from intellectual pursuits, creative activities, or spending time in nature, among other things. The key is to prioritise pleasure and seek out experiences that bring joy and fulfilment, according to one's own preferences and values.
So, if parties, alcohol, and drugs are not your preferred sources of pleasure, you can still adopt a hedonistic perspective by focusing on activities and experiences that genuinely bring you joy and enhance your overall well-being.
How can hedonism be useful for activists?
It’s perfectly possible to be a hedonist and also an activist for peace and the environment. Being a hedonist does not necessarily mean that a person is selfish or lacks concern for others or the environment. You can prioritise your own happiness and pleasure while also recognising the importance of promoting peace and protecting the environment for the benefit of society as a whole.
In fact, many people who identify as hedonists may believe that a harmonious and sustainable world ultimately contributes to their own happiness and well-being. They may see the preservation of peace and the environment as necessary conditions for their own long-term pleasure and enjoyment.
So, consider this Bacchante, both sensitive and pensive, as well as recalcitrant and insubordinate. Your and my personal philosophy and values can be multifaceted, allowing for a commitment to personal happiness and enjoyment alongside a dedication to broader social and environmental concerns. What would be your hedonistic pursuits of choice in this new light? I would love to read your thoughts in the comments.
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Next week: a mindful poem inspired by Johannes Kepler.
really interesting !
I never thought of myself as a hedonist, but I definitely am if it means unapologetically loving what you love--and delighting in it as *much and as often* as possible. That's exactly how I feel about my hiking and nature study! I feel absolutely no pressure to make it into a job or a political agenda. For me it's pure pleasure and helps me to savor the experience of being alive. Thank you, Conny, you always have an interesting angle to your letters and I love receiving them.