The recent deaths of Jane Birkin and Francoise Gilot, who were often considered muses to their partners, marks the end of a role that was once ambiguous, sometimes oppressive, and frequently exploitative. While Birkin had a successful career in film and music, her muse status to both her ex-husband Serge Gainsbourg and Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas was celebrated just as much. However, her passing has made it clear that the concept of being a muse is no longer acceptable in our current cultural climate.
The idea of the muse being obsolete has been discussed since at least 1996, as seen in an article in The New Yorker. But in today’s world, even referring to a woman as simply the “wife of…” is often seen as reductive. It is no longer tolerable to reduce a woman to her relationship with a man, which has been the essence of the muse dynamic. Elevating someone based on their impact on another person, usually a man, is outdated. Women want to be recognized for their own achievements, not for their association with someone else’s work. This is not to undermine the contributions of muses; in Birkin’s case, a more accurate description would be collaborator. Her contributions are significant; it is the term “muse” that diminishes her role, making her seem passive, and reducing her contributions to merely existing rather than actively participating.
Francoise Gilot, a French artist, passed away in June of this year. She met artist Pablo Picasso when she was in her early 20s, and despite the significant age difference (which is a common trait in the muse-artist dynamic), she was the only one of his partners to leave him. Picasso was reportedly enraged by her decision, expressing disbelief that anyone would be interested in her without her association with him. This highlights one of the main problems with the concept of the muse – the idea that someone is only considered valuable because of their connection to someone else. Picasso was wrong; Gilot went on to have a successful career as a painter and her memoir, “Life With Picasso,” was a bestseller.
To illustrate the issue we have with the muse concept, we can ask ourselves if we can think of a male muse – a man who inspired a female artist and whose own achievements were overshadowed by the female artist’s success. It’s unlikely that we can easily name such a male muse. On the other hand, famous female muses come to mind easily: Maud Gonne, Gala Dalí, Zelda Fitzgerald, Edie Sedgwick, and numerous women who dated members of the Rolling Stones or the Beatles in the 1960s. The fact that the role of a muse often involves subjugation is unappealing in today’s society. The muse is typically seen as the lesser partner in a relationship, rarely granted the status of a collaborator. Instead, the role seems to involve some form of erasure, reducing women to their physical characteristics such as their appearance, style, or body shape. They are often silently confined within their own physicality.
The question arises as to why Leonardo DiCaprio is never referred to as Martin Scorsese’s muse, while Uma Thurman is given that title for her work with Quentin Tarantino. Is it because calling DiCaprio a “muse” would seem somehow emasculating? Or would it not accurately represent his work? However, it is deemed acceptable to call Thurman a muse.
Last year, Pattie Boyd, a former model and photographer who inspired some of George Harrison and Eric Clapton’s most famous love songs, expressed mixed feelings about being a muse. In an interview, she stated that she believes everything is in the hands of the artist and that she doesn’t see herself as the muse they sing about. She also mentioned that being a muse can be a source of pride, as long as it doesn’t consume or define her entirely. In another interview, she described the historical perception of muses being used and forgotten, and expressed her gratitude for having maintained her own identity and endured.
In 2008, Germaine Greer argued in The Guardian that a muse is far from a paid model. She described the muse as the feminine counterpart to the male artist, with whom he must engage to create a new work. The muse is the anima to his animus, the yin to his yang, playing a crucial role in the artist’s creative process.
Bebe Buell, a former model and singer from the 70s New York scene, is often referred to as a muse. She was one of the inspirations behind the fictional muse Penny Lane in the film “Almost Famous.” Buell sees the concept of being a muse as understandable, considering the great artists throughout history who have had muses. She believes muses provide artists with an element that goes beyond words and taps into the purity of their essence. In her case, both George Harrison and Eric Clapton struggled with expressing their emotions through conventional means, and she became a reflection of their feelings.
In conclusion, the concept of being a muse is no longer compatible with today’s societal expectations. It is archaic to reduce women to their relationships with men and to overshadow their own achievements. The idea that a muse is a lesser partner who simply exists to inspire someone else is no longer acceptable. Women want to be recognized and celebrated for their own work and contributions to the creative process. It is time to move beyond the notion of muses and embrace a more equal and empowering dynamic in artistic collaborations.
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