Vincent van Gogh and his asylum art

[David Baxter PhD]

Attending van Gogh and his asylum art
August 06, 2008

[IMGALIGN="left"]http://forum.psychlinks.ca/articles/starry-night.jpg[/IMGALIGN]This month's British Journal of Psychiatry includes a letter that gives an interesting insight into the relationship between the legendary Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, the three doctors that variously treated him for his epilepsy and insanity, and some of his most famous paintings.

Three medical doctors were involved with the treatment of van Gough: Dr Felix Rey (1867?1932), who diagnosed van Gogh?s epilepsy; Dr Th?ophile Zacharie Auguste Peyron (1827?95) of Saint-Remy asylum who also diagnosed ?a type of epilepsy? ? he was a very understanding physician who arranged facilities within the asylum for van Gogh?s paintings and artwork; and Dr Paul Gachet (1828?1909) who treated van Gogh during his last 10 weeks of life.

van Gogh painted two portraits and an etching of Dr Gachet, one of which (Portrait of Doctor Gachet, June 1890) was auctioned in 1990 for an astounding sum of US$ 82.5 million. Young intern Dr Rey probably maintained distance because he saw van Gogh during his psychotic state, shortly after the ear mutilation episode. He failed to value the artist?s creativity and thus was not possessive of the gift presented to him, which he described afterwards:

"Vincent was above all a miserable, wretched man,... he would talk to me about complementary colours. But I really could not understand why red should not be red, and green not green!... When I saw that he outlined my head entirely in green (he had only two main colours, red and green), that he painted my hair and my mustache ? I really did not have red hair ? in a blazing red on a biting green background, I was simply horrified. What should I do with this present?"​

Dr Gachet was very supportive of van Gogh and valued his creative instinct. Vincent had found a ?true friend? in him. It is a matter of pride for the medical fraternity that Dr Gachet was highly admired by van Gogh and that he tried his best to keep van Gogh?s tormented soul at peace and allow his creativity to flourish in the village atmosphere of Auvers. van Gogh created a series of paintings, at least 14, illustrating the Saint-Remy asylum. Any of them may be appropriate for the Journal to focus on with regard to his creativity of the use of colour and space to astonishing effect. Those paintings are carrying the historical value of mental health perspectives so far as the asylum culture of his time is concerned.

The picture on the left is Starry Night, one of his most famous, which he draw looking out of his window while a resident in the Saint-Remy asylum.

 

[joe isuzu]

David,
Random thought here but, do you think taste in art is indicative of an individuals psychological makeup? I like a lot of really strange stuff, from Dali, Bosch, & Bok, to Durea, Da Vinci, & Degas to Frazetta & Vallejo. Kind of eclectic but that's just what speaks to me. I guess the Frazetta & Vallejo is kind of guy thing, but the old religious themed artists like Bosch & Bok always made me wonder because they're so dark. Dali & the other surrealists just always struck me as thought provoking & interesting because I always wondered what they were thinking & was I wierd for liking something weird as well? Just one of those random questions that's popped into my head many times & I never had anyone to ask. Thanks, Joe

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I can't say that I've ever seen any real significance in such a connection, any more than I see a connection between one's tastes in food and personality type.

 

[healthbound]

Van Gogh was became important to me when I was in my early teens. My mom was getting her art history degree and I would sometimes look through her art books. I remember when I discovered some of Van Gogh's work. It was one of the only times during my teens that I felt like at least someone else (dead of alive) could identify with how I was feeling. I wasn't epileptic or in psychosis, but I was living in a crazy dynamic where reality was often skewed. I felt comforted by being able to open an art book and find images that depicted thoughts or feelings I was having, but couldn't articulate.

Van Gogh was definitely a nutty guy. But holy crap, could he ever paint.

 

[white page]

Hi healthbound ,

I felt comforted by being able to open an art book and find images that depicted thoughts or feelings I was having, but couldn't articulate.

You hit the nail on the head here , I have always firmly believed that the visual arts are an expression of intuitive and non verbal thought. in the same way that music is . Words are not neccessary nor welcome most of the time when looking at paintings or other visual arts. War photography is the most powerful example of this.
Many persons who find it difficult to communicate with a formal language , develope a capacity to communicate with images and colours, It is notable that the cave paintings are the only traces of prehistoric man which give us an idea of his sophistication of thought.
The ability of homo sapiens to manifest thought and perception into a material visual reality is something we take for granted , but it shows an incredible complexity of creative thought .

white page

 

[sister-ray]

The only artist that ever had any influence or affect on me, and still does to this day is Andy Warhol, others I look at certain paintings they have done and they might catch my eye or mean something but everything Andy did meant something, he was one person I would have dearly loved to have met. He was and still is a genius to me

 

[healthbound]

Great posts white page and sister-ray.

I often use art to process my own feelings, thoughts, memories, perceptions, ideas, concepts etc. I have also used it to work through PTSD.

At times when I couldn't articulate my experiences with trauma, I would paint or draw them abstractly. It was a way for my subconscious and senses to begin processing what might normally stay stuck. Or to express emotions or experiences that went well beyond words.

Just as you mentioned white page, my experience is that some things are beyond verbal articulation. Creating art allows me to materialize and make sense of things. Things that couldn't otherwise be named. And in turn, that's what I sometimes get from looking at other people's art.

Van Gogh's paintings communicated something beyond words to me. I hope I can do the same for someone else some day with my own art.

 

[white page]

Van Gogh's paintings communicated something beyond words to me. I hope I can do the same for someone else some day with my own art.
__________________

Healthbound, Because you have such sensitivity of perceptions I am sure that your art will reach other peoples souls. Keep striving for this and paint what is meaningful for you first and foremost .

There is another artist who you may like Odilon Redon .

The only artist that ever had any influence or affect on me, and still does to this day is Andy Warhol, others I look at certain paintings they have done and they might catch my eye or mean something but everything Andy did meant something, he was one person I would have dearly loved to have met. He was and still is a genius to me

Sister ray,
Warhol was a genius, totaly in tune with his time and way beyond it as well ,so many people since have tried to jump onto his bandwagon , but no one has his flair or inventiveness , I love his blotted ink drawings , just wonderful .

 

[healthbound]

Healthbound, Because you have such sensitivity of perceptions I am sure that your art will reach other peoples souls. Keep striving for this and paint what is meaningful for you first and foremost .

Thanks for the support, white page! And thanks for the reminder to paint what is meaningful for me. I often struggle with identifying what I want to create vs what I perceive other people want.

There is another artist who you may like Odilon Redon .

I'm looking forward to googling him, thanks!

 

[sister-ray]

Sister ray,
Warhol was a genius, totaly in tune with his time and way beyond it as well ,so many people since have tried to jump onto his bandwagon , but no one has his flair or inventiveness , I love his blotted ink drawings , just wonderful .

White page I glad someone feels the same as I do. I love his floating silver pillows, I dont think I could pick any one thing out that he did, I like it all,, he was involved in so much, including making films and also with music and the Velvet Underground, I saw some stuff where he just filmed himself making a cup of tea or eating a burger brillant stuff