This Wired article discusses the work of economist David
Galenson, who's discovered two kinds of artistic geniuses. He's
plotted the artist's age when he made each work, whether
painting, book or something else, versus its artistic value.
Value can be its price in the case of fine art where prices are
available, or it can be measured by the number of times the work
is cited in standard textbooks. So, for example, Picasso created
his iconic Les Demoiselles d'Avignon at 27; but Twain didn't
write Huckleberry Finn till he was 50. At 27, Twain hadn't even
written "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and
wouldn't for another five years. At 31, Pollack was a terrible
painter; he'd do his best work later. At 40, Ezra Pound had said
everything interesting he had to say. All that was left for him
was to collaborate with the Fascists. The idea is that some
artists are conceptualists. They come up with an interesting way
to reimagine their form. They may refine it as they get older,
but unless they can reim