A Genius for Failure: The Life of Benjamin Robert Haydon

*Haydon'sfirstattemptatsuicideendedwhenthelowcalibrebulletfiredfromhispistolfracturedhisskullbutfailedtopenetratehisbrain.*Hissecondattemptalsofailed:adeepslashacrosshisthroatleftalargepoolofbloodattheentrancetohisstudio,buthewasstillabletoreachhiseaselontheoppositesideoftheroom.*Onlyhisthirdattempt,anothercuttothethroatwhichsprayedbloodacrosshisunfinishedcanvas,wassuccessful.Hediedface-downbeforethebespattered'AlfredandtheFirstBritishJury',hisfinalbid'toimprovethetasteoftheEnglishpeople'throughtheHighArtofhistoricalpainting.*Suchintensity,struggleandnear-comicinabilitytosucceedencapsulateHaydon'scareer.Thirtyyearsbeforehisdeathhishuge,iconicpaintingshadmadehimthetoastofearly19th-centuryLondon,drawingpayingcrowdstotheEgyptianHallinPiccadillyformonthsandleadingtonationwidetours.*However,hisattempttorepeatsuchsuccessthreemonthsbeforehisdeathwastodestroyhim:barelyasoulturnedup,leavingthedesperatepainteralone,humiliated,andfacingfinancialruin.*InAGeniusforFailurePaulO'KeeffemakesclearthattherealtragedyofHaydonlayintheextenttowhichhisfailureswereunwittinglyengineeredbyhisownactions-hisrefusaltoresorttothepaintingoffashionableportraits,forexample,andhisself-destructivelyacrimoniousrelationshipwiththeRA.*Thecompanyhekept-Keats,Shelley,Wordsworth,SirRobertPeelandtheDukeofWellington,amongmanyothers-andthemomentouseventshelivedthrough-TheBattleofWaterloo,theCoronationofGeorgeIV,andthepassingofthefirstParliamentaryReformBill-makeAGeniusforFailurenotonlythedefinitivebiographyofthisfascinatingandtragicpainter,butastirringportrayalofanage.