It was ever thus where art meets commerce. There's a caustic, argumentative dynamic to patronage, in which both the artist and the client exhaust themselves on behalf of their own eccentric demands. There's nothing harder on the spirit than making your way in the world as a working artist.

If Michelangelo could have canceled Il Pappa's custom paint job and refunded his deposit, he'd have done so.

So mazel tov, Dr. D. Revel in your newfound freedoms.