A Painter of Our Time: Analysis of Major Characters
"A Painter of Our Time: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the intricate dynamics between the central characters, each reflecting distinct perspectives on art, personal ambition, and societal obligations. Janos Lavin, a Hungarian painter living in London, grapples with the tension between his artistic integrity and the compromises he perceives in his life. His dedication to art is tested by the execution of his childhood friend, Laszlo, which compels him to document his thoughts and ultimately leads him to return to Hungary, where he mysteriously disappears.
Diana Lavin, Janos' wife, experiences a complex emotional journey as she navigates her husband’s artistic struggles and her own disillusionment with his lack of commercial success. Her feelings of betrayal evolve into an affair with one of Janos' friends, highlighting the strains in their marriage. John, the narrator, serves as an observer and critic, uncovering Janos' inner conflicts while attempting to support his career amidst the challenges of the art world.
Supporting characters, such as the affluent collector Sir Gerald Banks and Janos' painter friend Len Hancock, provide further context to the themes of artistic integrity and societal expectations. The narrative invites readers to reflect on the interplay between personal aspiration and broader social responsibilities, as exemplified by Janos' relationship with Laszlo, whose fate serves as a poignant reminder of the political realities that can overshadow artistic pursuits.
A Painter of Our Time: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: John Berger
First published: 1958
Genre: Novel
Locale: London, England
Plot: Bildungsroman
Time: The 1950's
Janos Lavin, a Hungarian painter and art teacher in London who is some twenty-five years older than his wife. He is dedicated to his art and strives to be as true to himself as he can be. He appears unconcerned with daily events but pays close attention to every detail within his line of sight. He begins to keep a diary after he hears about the execution of his childhood friend, Laszlo, for treason against the state. Janos wants to believe that he does not accept compromise, but at the same time he fears that his entire life as a painter has been a compromise of the ideals of his youth. He decides at the moment of his greatest artistic triumph to return to Hungary to continue political work. He is not heard from again, and his friends suspect that he has been killed.
Diana Lavin, also known as Rosie, Janos' wife. She married him during a time in which she was working with refugees. She loves him in a maternal way, but when he does not respond as expected, she becomes cold, silent, and quarrelsome by turns. Diana, who is from an upper-middle-class English family, feels betrayed by Janos when he does not become the commercial success as a painter that she had hoped he would be. In her late forties, she has become disillusioned and no longer encourages Janos to be monetarily successful. She goes with resigned detachment to a library job that supports their material needs. When Janos finally succeeds in getting a show at a major gallery, she regains her energy and enthusiasm. After Janos returns to Hungary, she begins an affair with one of his refugee friends.
John, the narrator, a friend of Janos and an art critic. John discovers Janos' diary hidden in the studio after the Hungarian painter returns to his native country. As he reads the diary, John is amazed at the deep conflicts suffered by Janos. John attempts to further the painter's career by introducing him to rich collectors and arranging exhibitions. He is somewhat upset by Janos' overscrupulous principles concerning art and that Diana must live a financially insecure life, but he also views Janos as a victim of political and artistic fads in London.
Sir Gerald Banks, a rich English art collector. Sir Gerald has a vast and expensive art collection of good repute. He has some sensibility about art and does not rely on the opinions of others to tell him what he should like. When Janos comes to his house to see his collection and subsequently insults it, Sir Gerald retains respect for him as a truthful man. Later, when Janos competes for an exhibition prize, Sir Gerald is the one member of the judging committee who supports his entry, even when the other committee members decide against it.
Len Hancock, a butcher by trade who paints in his free time. He is the only painter friend that Janos has. He is an uncomplicated man, happily married to a beautiful woman, successful in his butcher shop, and striving always to be a better painter. He goes to Janos for advice and instruction about painting, taking criticism as a map to his growth as an artist. He wants to paint his wife's portrait but is unsure of his skill.
Vee Hancock, Len's beautiful wife and Diana's friend. The two couples often go together for outings at the beach or have dinner at each other's houses. She and Len are the only real social contact Diana has. Vee is fond of Janos but will not pose for him because she knows that he is attracted to her. She finally allows her husband to paint her as a nude and is partly embarrassed and partly thrilled by the result.
Laszlo, Janos' childhood friend and comrade-in-arms during their idealistic youth. Laszlo has been executed as an enemy of the people in Hungary, although his guilt is in question. Janos' memory of Laszlo is the sounding board for ruminations about politics, art, and responsibility in his diary. Laszlo had always told Janos that to be too devoted to art was to be selfish and that history needed artists to point the way to social reform.