The Singing Butler (#13)

 One might ask, how could French philosopher John Paul Sartre and a Scottish painter Jack Vetriano have anything in common? Well, believe it or not, one can actually compare Vetriano's painting “The Singing Butler” to Sartre’s idea that death is liberating. In the painting, a couple is found dancing along the seashore, without a care in the world. They are just enjoying their time with each other, regardless of the clouds building up to what seems to be an oncoming storm. These two people have most likely come to terms with the reality that they are in fact going to die one day and they probably will never know when that day is near. So they choose to live a carefree life, accepting that they will not always have the opportunity to do so. We can also observe in the picture that there is a butler and a maid on both sides of the couple, worrying about covering them with their umbrellas from the danger of the coming storm. They clearly are not living the some care free life that the couple is living, and they probably have not accepted the idea that they are going to die some day. This makes them a slave to all their worries.

 If we can all come to terms with John Paul Sartre’s idea that death is liberating, we are all going to be able to lead fulfilling lives, just as the couple in Jack Vettriano’s painting “The Singing Butler”. The realization of death allows for us to be stripped of our worries and focus on more important aspects of life, like accomplishing goals, finding love and seeking whatever it is that makes us happy. The thought of dying puts life more in perspective for us all, which what John Paul Sartre was attempting to do for all of us.

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