The narrator questions the widely-held perception of art historian J as an artistic genius, as well as the assertion that American painter Ad Reinhardt, famous for opposing evocative, biographical art, committed suicide due to the art world’s misunderstanding of his works. Despite his extensive search, the narrator fails to find proof of Reinhardt’s suicide, which contradicts J’s claim; instead finding evidence that indicates Reinhardt died of a heart attack at age 54. The narrator recognizes the irony that Reinhardt’s supposed suicide would add a tragic layer to his life story, the exact element he fought against in art.