Summary
This section of the book begins with the conclusion of Blanche and Strickland's love affair. The narrator runs into Dirk who appears to be very upset. He informs the narrator that Blanche has attempted suicide after Strickland left her. Dirk says he was incredibly distraught when he heard the news and immediately went to the hospital. However, Dirk adds, Blanche told him to leave. He tells the narrator that she survived the attempt but is in very bad shape.
The narrator goes to the hospital with Dirk. They ask to see Blanche, but are rebuffed again. They overhear a strange voice and learn that it is Blanche, whose vocal cords have been severely burned in the suicide attempt. Dirk visits the hospital a few more times that week and is able to see Blanche while she is sleeping. He notes that her face is also burnt by acid. She dies later that week. Dirk tells the narrator about her death and then, exhausted, falls asleep.
The narrator tries to convince Dirk to leave Paris after this tragic turn of events, but Dirk will not comment on the matter. He sees Dirk a week later and Dirk tells him that he will be returning home to Holland soon. He talks about how his family encouraged his modest talent but that he probably should have stayed in his village and led a simple life. He then tells the narrator, much to his surprise, that he has seen Strickland.
Dirk recounts returning to his home after Blanche's funeral. He is grief-stricken and wanders around the house, being reminded of Blanche the entire time. Then, in his studio, he comes upon a nude portrait, which he quickly comes to realize is a painting Strickland did of Blanche. Overcome with rage and anguish, he gets ready to destroy it with a kitchen knife, only to stop at the last moment. He tells the narrator that he was struck with the sensation that it was a true work of art and that to destroy it would have been a terrible crime. He continues, saying he encountered Strickland and asked him to come to Holland with him, an offer Strickland declines. Strickland leaves him the painting. The narrator notes that he expects that Dirk will be happy, marry someone nice from his village, and paint many mediocre paintings.
The narrator runs into Strickland on the street. He tells Strickland that he finds him detestable. Strickland laughs and says that if that were really true, he would not enjoy joking with him on occasion. The narrator feels guilty for his continued fascination with Strickland, particularly in the aftermath of Blanche's terrible death. The narrator walks home with him and they talk more.
The narrator brutally criticizes Strickland for his cruel treatment of Dirk and Blanche, but Strickland appears entirely unconcerned. Strickland also recounts the beginning of his affair with Blanche. The narrator sees that Strickland is truly only interested in the pursuit of artistic excellence, the kind which goes far beyond accolades, admiration, or happiness.
They go to look at some of Strickland's pictures and the narrator is overcome by the power of Strickland's work. The narrator tells him he is clearly trying to express something and that he may have chosen the wrong medium to do so. The narrator tells Strickland that he is under the power of something and is striving to reach it. He is clearly afraid to be trapped by more human concerns like love and physical attraction. The narrator says that shortly thereafter, Strickland leaves for Marseilles and he never sees him again.
Analysis
This part of the book takes a turn for the dramatic, as the characters are faced with a major tragedy. Blanche attempts suicide after being left by Strickland, eventually dying from her injuries. Dirk is overcome with grief and the narrator attempts to console him. Strickland, on the other hand, shows no regret about his actions. This terrible conclusion to this section brings an end to the narrator's time with both Strickland and Dirk, as the former leaves for Marseilles and the latter returns home to Holland.
At the end of the chapter where the narrator talks with Dirk, he wishes him well. He sincerely cares for him and hopes that his trip home brings him some measure of peace and closure. He notes that he will likely go on to marry a kind woman from his village and paint many more unremarkable paintings. In this way, the narrator envisions a simple, happy life for Dirk, one that lacks the artistic ambition and achievement of Strickland's life but is also brighter and more peaceful. The future that the narrator envisions for Dirk is unremarkable but filled with contentment, fitting with his earlier comments about the difficulty of being both a great artist and feeling content with everyday pleasures.
The tragedy of Blanche's suicide further underscores Strickland's shocking cruelty. Strickland leaves Blanche, sending her into a spiraling despair that pushes her to attempt to kill herself. She fails in her initial attempt, but injures herself so severely that she eventually dies in the hospital a few days later. Dirk is devastated and the narrator is greatly disturbed. Both Dirk and the narrator encounter Strickland once again after Blanche's death and he seems entirely unaffected, taking no responsibility in the role he played in instigating her. This moment is an escalation of his cruelty. Where before he seemed merely unconcerned with hurting other people, he now expresses no remorse for his active part in destroying someone's life. He has such a singular focus on himself and his art that the lives of others take on no weight or meaning.
The last time the narrator encounters Strickland, he looks at some of his paintings. He describes them as incredibly poignant, clearly indicating that Strickland is under the sway of a powerful artistic force. He goes on to compare Strickland's body to an "envelope" merely containing his artistic pursuits. He depicts Strickland's paintings as reaching for something beyond human comprehension, gesturing at something sublime or divine, far beyond the literal scenes of village life that Dirk painted. In this regard, the narrator characterizes Strickland and his paintings as trying to channel something outside the normal range of human expression, both impressive and somewhat unsettling in their intensity.
This section of the book brings the narrator's interactions with Strickland to a conclusion. The revelation of Blanche's death solidifies the narrator's impression of Strickland as a heartless and cruel man. While he continues to be fascinated and impressed by Strickland's work, this climax represents the end of the narrator's physical connection to Strickland. The tenuous relationship they established in Paris comes to a close as the two people tying them together, Dirk and Blanche, leave their lives. Unsurprisingly, the narrator does not appear to be particularly remorseful about this fact.
