Artisthood is a myth—even today. Just as the so-called “aura” of the work of art, demolished on countless occasions in the 20th century, rises repeatedly from the ashes, so too do clichéd ideas about the visionary artist and the healing power of art continue to recur. Are all artists, by definition, trapped in the myth of artisthood? Can this myth be ignored, diffused or even dismantled? Art historian and philosopher Camiel van Winkel’s celebrated 2008 essay, one of the first published in a series by the Mondriaan Fund (former Fonds BKVB), explores those specific questions. In the five years since its original publication, the text, which developed from the author’s involvement in a research group at AKV|St. Joost, has made a significant contribution to the discourse on what it means to be an artist today. This new English-language edition was prepared with Van Winkel, who contributed a new afterword.