IN 1944, THE PAINTER REX WHISTLER WAS LEADING A tank crew through Normandy, when he was blown up by a mortar shell. The tank features in Viva Voce, a 22-minute artwork in Tate Britain, made by the black British artist Keith Piper as a critique of the murals with which Whistler covered the walls of the refreshment room when he was a mere 21 years old. Strangely, though, the piece does not reveal that the artist — to his admirers, the epitome of blighted promise — was killed. Instead, it mocks him for wanting to be a hero.
Did Whistler have a hero complex, in the manner of Nelson or General Custer, both of whom had sought glory at all costs since they were boys? It seems unlikely, but that hardly matters. Whether or not Whistler wanted to be a hero, he was one. It’s quite an important point.
