Question

Read the following sentence from the story: "‘Sometimes,’ Sestina said, ‘painters have to paint something painful in order to avoid painting something that’s just another painting repeated.’"

A. Sestina believes that painters would rather paint something that looks like another painting than paint something painful.
B. Sestina believes that painters would rather paint something painful than paint something that looks like another painting.
C. Sestina believes that painters make paintings because they enjoy causing pain in people who visit art museums.
D. Sestina believes that painters should make more paintings that look like other paintings and fewer paintings that are painful.

Answer 1

Sestina believes that painters should engage with painful subjects rather than repeating familiar motifs, prioritizing emotional depth and authenticity in art.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage suggests that Sestina believes that it is important for painters to engage with difficult or painful subjects in their art, rather than simply repeating comfortable or familiar motifs.

This belief highlights a preference for authenticity and emotional depth over aesthetic repetition. This idea echoes the views of numerous artists and poets who have reflected on their practice, such as Ezra Pound's emphasis on essential words, William Carlos Williams's advice on revision, and the principles outlined in Aristotle's Poetics regarding the representations of life and emotion in art.

Through these examples, we are reminded that pain and pleasure, beauty and representation, are central to the creation and analysis of art whether it be in the form of painting, poetry, or any other medium.