Strickland's Painting of Blanche (Symbol)
Strickland paints a nude portrait of Blanche in the middle section of the book. Much to his anger and dismay, Dirk discovers this painting after Blanche's suicide and protracted death. He sets out to destroy it initially but finds himself unable to. Upon closer inspection, he discovers that it is a work of genius, something truly striking and powerful. Strickland later gives him the painting as a gift before departing Paris. The painting is a representation of Strickland's vision as an artist, as well as his possession of artistic talent and Blanche, two things that Dirk painfully lacks.
Dirk's Paintings (Symbol)
The narrator describes Dirk's paintings as mediocre. He makes a number of cheerful scenes of village life in Italy. They are technically competent but do little to inspire or compel the viewer. The narrator notes that Dirk has a strong eye for great paintings, but cannot seem to make great work himself. These paintings are a stand-in for a kind of unremarkable art, which has nothing overtly objectionable about it, but does nothing moving, exploratory, or impressive.
Art Dealer (Symbol)
In the middle of the novel, Dirk has an extended conversation with an art dealer about his refusal to sell Strickland's paintings. The dealer notes that regardless of how extraordinary, or not, Strickland's paintings are, his only concern is what sells. In this way, the art dealer is a symbol of the art market and how it operates based on popularity and not merit, taking interest in what collectors are drawn to and not what is actually representative of good quality work. This becomes particularly notable in light of the fact that Strickland later becomes an artist of high critical regard, after his death, whose work sells for great sums of money.
Tahiti (Symbol)
Tahiti appears prominently in Strickland's biography, as it is where he spends the final, arguably happiest, years of his life. The narrator visits Tahiti while working on his book about Strickland, in an effort to meet the people Strickland spent time with and better understand him. He sees Tahiti as a place of beautifully untamed wilderness with lush scenery. There, in the stories the narrator is told, Strickland is able to find a more permanent happiness, unencumbered by social circles of the cities he has lived in previously. In this way, it functions as a symbol for the natural state where Strickland was happier than the supposed civilization of London and Paris.
Greatness (Motif)
Greatness appears as a recurring motif throughout the novel. The narrator repeatedly remarks that Strickland is a great artist, held in the same regard as Monet, Degas, and Manet. By contrast, he notes that other artists, while capable on the level of technique, lack Strickland's ambition and vision. For other artists, money and recognition are satisfactory. For Strickland, the narrator writes, his art is an attempt to communicate something that is beyond him and he is completely unconcerned with anything but meeting this vision. The narrator believes Strickland is a great artist and has achieved something remarkable in that his work expresses something powerful, unsettling, and transcendent, reaching for something beyond accolades and sales.
