Anna Karenina - Part 5

"Not envious, let us say, since he has _talent_; but it annoys him

that a wealthy man of the highest society, and a count, too (you

know they all detest a title), can, without any particular

trouble, do as well, if not better, than he who has devoted all

his life to it. And more than all, it's a question of culture,

which he is without."

Vronsky defended Mihailov, but at the bottom of his heart he

believed it, because in his view a man of a different, lower

world would be sure to be envious.

Anna's portrait--the same subject painted from nature both by him

and by Mihailov--ought to have shown Vronsky the difference

between him and Mihailov; but he did not see it. Only after

Mihailov's portrait was painted he left off painting his portrait

of Anna, deciding that it was now not needed. His picture of

mediaeval life he went on with. And he himself, and

Golenishtchev, and still more Anna, thought it very good, because

it was far more like the celebrated pictures they knew than

Mihailov's picture.

Mihailov meanwhile, although Anna's portrait greatly fascinated

him, was even more glad than they were when the sittings were

over, and he had no longer to listen to Golenishtchev's

disquisitions upon art, and could forget about Vronsky's

painting. He knew that Vronsky could not be prevented from

amusing himself with painting; he knew that he and all dilettanti

had a perfect right to paint what they liked, but it was

distasteful to him. A man could not be prevented from making

himself a big wax doll, and kissing it. But if the man were to

come with the doll and sit before a man in love, and begin

caressing his doll as the lover caressed the woman he loved, it

would be distasteful to the lover. Just such a distasteful

sensation was what Mihailov felt at the sight of Vronsky's

painting: he felt it both ludicrous and irritating, both pitiable

and offensive.

Vronsky's interest in painting and the Middle Ages did not last

long. He had enough taste for painting to be unable to finish

his picture. The picture came to a standstill. He was vaguely

aware that its defects, inconspicuous at first, would be glaring

if he were to go on with it. The same experience befell him as

Golenishtchev, who felt that he had nothing to say, and

continually deceived himself with the theory that his idea was

not yet mature, that he was working it out and collecting

materials. This exasperated and tortured Golenishtchev, but

Vronsky was incapable of deceiving and torturing himself, and

even more incapable of exasperation. With his characteristic

decision, without explanation or apology, he simply ceased

working at painting.