The Artist and His Apprentice
The Artist and His Apprentice
There once was a Master artist who could make the most extravagant artworks. For many years, people would come to see and ask for just one piece of His works and loved how each one was crafted. All day long, He would work on each piece very carefully, for He could not make even the slightest mistake. Over the next few years, He realized that His work needed to be seen all across the world, but He could not do it alone. “I shall hire apprentices and they will make artwork of their own, for their pieces of art will reflect My own, and many more will wish to take and love the work I have created,” He said to Himself.
And so, He went out and hired many apprentices. Some were painters, others were sculptors, and many were architects building great temples and monuments which reflected His own art pieces. One day, He decided to see how his apprentices were doing and headed into the villages to meet with them. As he walked from building to building, some apprentices greeted him at the door and were delighted to show him their works which pleased him greatly. Others, however, did not recognize His voice and deemed Him a stranger, and kept the door shut on Him, which disappointed Him.
One house piqued His interest and as He knocked on the door, He heard a small whimper, which sounded like the bleating of a lamb. “Who is it? My artwork has yet to be finished, and I am very sorry that it has been taking so long.”
“Young apprentice, it is I, your Master who bids to see you!”
He then heard the sound of glass crashing and scrambling of feet, “Oh my Lord! Forgive me! Let me open the door for you!”
Behind the door stood a tiny girl covered in paint and marble dust. She was huffing and puffing, trying to catch her breath, “I did not expect you, my Lord, and I apologize for not being tidy! I have been working day and night on these pieces, as well as my masterpiece, and I am not yet finished!”
The Master laughed and kneeled to her, “I apologize for coming unannounced, but if I had warned you ahead of time, I would not have been able to see what you have made so far.”
The young girl fidgeted with worry as she allowed the Master into her house. There were many paintings that seemed unfinished and statues with flaws and cracks. Her home seemed very messy, for there was marble dust all over the floor and paint-splattered about the walls. Her eyes filled with tears as the Master looked at each of her artworks. He noticed this and asked her why she was crying. “Oh Master! I am dreadfully ashamed! I have done what you have asked of me, but my art is no good! I have seen my brothers and sisters in art and their artworks are perfect beyond words! Yet, mine lacks in the grace and beauty that is Your artwork!” she sniffled, “I am not worthy to be called an artist, nor your apprentice!”
The master patted her on the head and spoke, “you have still yet to show me the masterpiece with which you spoke of. Will you let me see it?”
The girl begrudgingly obeyed as she led Him to a separate room. She opened the door and there stood a draped statue. When she unveiled the artwork, it was a large marble statue of the Master surrounded by His apprentices. He was in a climbing pose but was looking back and holding His hand out to them. The Master looked at the girl with a smile, “you are truly an artist, my sweet child.”
“But Master, my other art pieces are not as well done as this one, and this one is not even close to being finished,” she whimpered.
“I never wanted perfection, my girl. I wanted you and your fellow artists to reflect My work. You see their work as better than your own, but you have done many great works of your own. Your home is messy because of how much effort you put into your craft. How many have you given to others?”
“Oh! So many! But I feel as if they could never capture the majesty of Your work…”
The Master picked the girl up and sat her on the edge of her statue, “My child, when I first saw your artwork, I could see your heart in it. You did your hardest to convey what you see in Me. Your paintings capture how much love I put into My own art to spread all over the Earth. Your statues show Me how much respect you have for Me and the love I have for all of My apprentices. The others have their own ways of reflecting on My art, and I love them all the same, not because they do more or because of the certain techniques they use, but because of how much they love and respect Me. I went to many homes and saw many art pieces that filled Me with joy.”
The girl wiped her tears as she looked at the Master. She noticed that He was saddened, “Master, did any of the works that I or my fellow apprentices disappoint You?”
He sighed, “yes. There were many that finished one masterpiece and had nothing to show for it. Some used their art to gain profit, even though My art is freely given. And many of them refused to let me see because they refused to believe that I was their Master. I weep for them.”
The girl fidgeted as she asked if He was disappointed in her as well. He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead, “My dear child, I am not disappointed in you. You have done so much to show My love through your art. I am very proud and pleased with you! Tomorrow, I shall be holding a showing of all of My apprentices’ artworks, and I want you to finish and bring this piece to it!”
Hearing this, the girl was filled with joy. She ate with the Master and saw Him off as He continued going to the other apprentices’ houses. She quickly got to work and toiled through the night to finish the masterpiece. As she chiseled through the marble, the words of her Master encouraged her and by morning, the statue was completed.
Her neighbors helped place the statue onto a large cart and transported it to the Master’s mansion. Thousands of apprentices and viewers alike were excited to see the gallery, but the girl was very nervous to unveil her statue. The Master saw her and welcomed her, “I see you have finished the work, may I unveil it now?”
She nodded, “yes, Master. I hope You like it.”
He threw off the tarp and the people marveled at the statue. The girl had added intricate designs on the clothes the statue wore and inlaid gold and precious gems. The statue was painted to be more life-like and each apprentice that was carved had their own unique appearance. The Master Himself witnessed that the statue’s likeness was almost a perfect copy of His own face and body. He hugged the girl tightly, “well done, My faithful child! This truly is your masterpiece!”
As the gallery continued through the night, the apprentices heard a pounding on the doors and voices crying out, “Master! Please let us in! We have done many artworks for You to display!”
The Master stood up and walked to the balcony of His mansion. He looked down to see thousands of His apprentices who stood at the door, “who are you? I went to your homes yesterday and half of you refused to see Me!”
The ones who refused to see Him sat and wept bitter tears, while the others begged again to be let in, “Master! We did not refuse You! Please let us in! We have art to show You!”
“I have seen the fruits of your work and found them small. You sold your art instead of giving it freely. You are nothing more than thieves to me! Begone!”
Hearing this, the apprentices outside wept aloud until the guards escorted them away into the dark city. The Master sat back down, raised His glass to his apprentices and spoke, “I thank you all for your hard work! You shall all be abundantly rewarded, for you have obeyed my directions and kept true to My works! May this night be grand to you, my humble servants!”
The people cheered and the girl smiled at her Master, “may many more see Your love, for I have seen it firsthand.”