Posted by Wittgenstein on January 10, 2008, at 4:53:07
In reply to Re: Depression and Creativity, posted by Phillipa on January 9, 2008, at 23:55:35
As for Vincent Van Gogh. He had an older brother who died before he was born, and who was also named Vincent. Vincent (the painter) was named after him - he was the 'replacement child', and everyday as a young boy, he would be sent to put flowers on his dead brother's grave. I wonder what effects this had. He has retrospectively been diagnosed with Manic Depression. During his life-time he was treated for epilepsy and spent periods in a mental asylum (at one point he cut off his ear and he ended his life by suicide). The treatment at the time for epilepsy was a drug called Digitalis (extracted from Fox Gloves) and can have the effect of distorting the vision, so that things appear with a yellow/green hue and hallows appear around lights. Perhaps this might explain something of The Starry Night and his apparent attraction to yellow from what we see in his paintings.
Witti
poster:Wittgenstein
thread:805411
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080101/msgs/805509.html