He is an upcoming artist. He is doing paintings well. His work has been appreciated by many people.

One day a client called him to commission a portrait.

He went to their house with excitement and a little bit of tension. He knows getting a commission for portrait means definite money. At the same time Convincing client to accept your work will be a very difficult thing. Definitely it’s worrisome and sometimes irksome.

It’s the old man’s portrait. Recently he died. His wife, sons and daughters are there to meet him.

They explained their views about how they are expecting it.

He listened to every one of them with patience.

After few weeks he finished the portrait and took it to their house.

Everybody in the house crowded around to see the portrait.

The dead man’s wife was satisfied with her husband’s features. Her sons and daughters also said it’s okay.

They looked at it some more time to give final approval. The artist knows the importance of that final nod. If any one of those family members expresses even a little bit dissatisfaction, then the portrait would be rejected. That means … No money.

He became tense with that thought.

For a few minutes, everybody became silent as if taking time to give final verdict.

After some moments, the wife of the dead man asked a woman who was standing at kitchen door.” How is it? ”

That woman is a cook in the house.

Instead of replying to that question, the woman started to look at that picture as if to judge it once again.

Losing total patience, the artist turned his head towards the dead man’s wife and asked, ”See Madam, Do you think she is better judge than you, to know how your husband looked while he was alive …?

Tail piece: Later when he came out of their house, he sat in a small restaurant and began to think. ”Why people behave this way? After living with her husband for nearly forty years, she could not judge how he looked? Asking her sons and daughters was okay. But asking her cook …! Does she know better than them? No way. If the cook points out that something in the face is not looking proper, then what’s going to happen?

The portrait would be rejected. It’s horrible.

Why people behave this way with artists? What sin they have committed? Without big success, artist and his art would be treated like that?