*
Ah, the Beautiful People! Posing and preening their way through the centuries. What a pretty life! Pretty vacant, perhaps, but pretty none the less...
To Pose or Not to Pose
Poseurs actually are artists, but of much less obvious arts. They often excel in the arts of manipulation, flattery, and seduction (which explains why they so often have hefty bank accounts and tons of friends). The matter of Poseur "art" is society itself, and they delight in shaping it to fit their needs. A Poseur creates her reputation through holding exquisite parties, having a fine personal art collection, showing off a fashionable haven or two, grooming a herd of talented Artistes, and a myriad of other actions that display her exacting standards and elevated tastes. And these are not mere affectations -- an excellent sense of style is an in-bred quality in the Poseur, or, at the very least, a closely studied and practiced skill. You cannot simply "pretend" to have class. It is born or learned, not posed.
Poseurs are in many ways the quintessence of the Toreador Clan weakness. They are completely enraptured by beauty and cannot escape its draw. They surround themselves with beauty in whatever forms that suit them. They mingle with Artistes and support them when they can. They encourage the production and appreciation of art in both mortal and Kindred society. They live and breathe art as much as the Artistes, just from the other side.
Patronage Has Its Place
A valuable role Poseurs often play is that of Patron of the Arts. Poseurs very often fund, support, encourage, and premier blossoming artists, both mortal and undead. This patronage is of vital importance to Artistes who may not have the material means or the social connections to create art worthy of widespread recognition. Art cannot be created in a vacuum, and only the most stubborn or naive Artistes believe otherwise.
Poseurs may use their wealth to purchase and control art galleries, theaters, nightclubs, boutiques, and other venues suitable for displaying creative works. Thus they become invaluable to the Artistes who need to exhibit their talents. Arrangements between a Poseur patron and a talented Artiste can be very beneficial for both parties. The Artiste can earn status by having her work seen by all the right people, while the Poseur gains prestige for having such good taste. It's the ultimate win-win situation.
The Power of the Poseur
Those who can't create, critique. Yes, Poseurs are the Immortal Critics, and it is their praise or disdain that can shape the careers of many an undead Artiste. Never underestimate the power of a well-connected Poseur! With sufficient status and prestige, she can make or break even the most gifted Artiste's undead career.
The Toreador Poseur can exert her power and influence upon the reception of the Artiste's works because the Poseur usually knows more about the social politics of a particular group than the Artiste. While the Artiste is busy creating his masterpiece, the Poseur is shmoozing with all the right people. Therefore, most Artistes eventually learn not to too quickly disdain the attentions of their Poseur fellows, or they will constantly struggle for any place in Toreador society. While it is the Artistes who create, they are often indebted to the Poseurs for favorable criticism and appreciation.
-- By Trystan L. Bass
Credits:
Pose, (verb) 1. To assume or hold a physical attitude, as for an artistic purpose. 2. To make a pretense of being what one is not.
Toreador Poseurs have gotten an unfairly bad rap. Perhaps they need better Press Agents. The connotations of fakery in the words behind "Poseur" have been emphasized, while the artistry inherent in the meaning is lost. Only very clueless neonates or truly stupid creatures would pretend to be Artistes when they couldn't draw a stick figure without a ruler. Toreador Poseurs don't try to be something they aren't. They do have the style and taste and aesthetic sense of the Artiste, but they haven't the skill or don't want to make the effort. They much prefer the pursuit of beauty to the actual creation of it.
--Dictionary definitions
*From Clanbook: Toreador, illustration by Joshua Gabriel Timbrook, Doug Alexander Gregory.
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