Enneagram Type 4 - The Individualist
Identity seekers, who feel unique and different
People of this personality type tend to build their identities around their perception of themselves as being somehow different or unique; they are thus self-consciously individualistic. Fours tend to see their difference from others as being both a gift and a curse - a gift, because it sets them apart from those they perceive as being somehow "common," and a curse, as it so often seems to separate them from the simpler forms of happiness that others so readily seem to enjoy. Fours are emotionally complex and highly sensitive. They long to be understood and appreciated for their authentic selves, but easily feel misunderstood and unappreciated. A desire to manifest this internal world often leads Fours to an interest in the arts, and some do become actual artists. Whether artistic or not, however, most Fours are aesthetically sensitive and concerned with self-expression and self-revelation, whether it be in the clothes they wear or in the overall nature of their often idiosyncratic lifestyles.
Intellectual Fours tend to mistakenly type themselves as Fives, and a heavy wing can certainly exacerbate this tendency. Fours however, unlike Fives, tend to be self-revealing and comfortable with emotional expression.
The Opera Singer
Only at the Met would this painting be left in storage for one hundred years. We welcome you to hang on the walls of the newly re-opened Anneberg Collection. Reverse her pose and she seems to have stepped right off of Seurat's Grande Jatte!
La Danseuse
Oblivious to the curious passer-bys, she nonchalantly assumes a ballerina pose and stands guard in the room devoted to Degas.
Madame X
Sargent created a scandal here, her decolletage exposed, Sargent subsequently painted the strap over the shoulder to avoid a fully exposed flesh. No doubt, he had an affair with this exemplar of Parisian high society. Her lateral pose suggests a haughty air, a regal confidence, and exudes in sensuality.
John Singer Sargent
The cool aristocracy is displayed with sheer mastery. Seemingly bravura and effortless brushwork masks the numerous sittings necessary. Nonetheless, Sargent was a precocious draftsmen and had an unerring eye. He really does capture the inner soul of his subjects.
Courbet
Delighted in the female flesh. Courbet's lusty and soft brushstrokes create a flesh tone that pulsates with life.
Carl Friedrich
The two philosphers contemplate by the dim moonlight - highly moody painting, German sensibility and unreal serenity.
Constable
Salisbury Church - Constable's realism resonates in his bold and unadorned reality, his evocative and rapid brushwork, his clouds like none other.
Velasquez at the Met
My favorite old master. His composition , the expressions, the tones, the lights and values, all are in a class above the rest.
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