“One of the worst things that can happen to an artist is to perceive himself as the owner of his art, and art as his tool. A product of the marketplace sensibility, this attitude barely differs on a psychological plane from the patron's view of the artist as a paid employee.”

Russian poet and essayist of the 20th century, Brodsky was exiled from the Soviet Union in 1972 and later awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1987. He is known for his sharp, lyrical essays on art, politics, and the human condition, blending intellectual rigor with poetic precision. His work often explores themes of exile, freedom, and the search for meaning in an indifferent world.