As optometrists, you endeavor to make the world more beautiful for your patients. But, in rare instances, malady can breed great beauty. Such is the case with some of the worlds most renowned Impressionist artists.
In this months special feature, Through the Eyes of an Artist, Phyllis Rakow, C.O.M.T., takes readers on a journey of some of the worlds great Impressionist artists to uncover the visual problems that may have had profound effects on their finest masterpieces. Here is a snapshot of the geniuses that Ms. Rakow discusses in her eye-opening report:
Paul Cezanne was myopic, but he refused to wear glassesa reality that clearly came out in his art. Cezannes close-ups are quite distinct, with fine details. His landscapes, on the other hand, are consistently hazy and out of focus.
Toward the end of Auguste Renoirs career, the artist used different colorsmuch less blue and more warm tones. One possible explanation: cataracts, which filter out a disproportionate amount of violet, blue and green while leaving red and brown unaffected.
Claude Monet had bilateral cataracts. For years, his color perception was so poor that he could not distinguish between colors without reading the labels on the paint tubes. Following unilateral surgery, he said, If I was condemned to see nature as I see it now, Id prefer to be blind and keep my memories of the beauties Ive always seen.
Why did Vincent van Gogh use so much yellow in his later paintings? He probably had a seizure disorder and was likely mismanaged and slightly overdosed with digitalis, which caused digitalis toxicity and yellow vision. He also had pica, which caused abnormal cravings for a variety of toxic substances known to cause yellow visionincluding his paints, which he often attempted to eat.
The early works of Edgar Degas show the finest details but, as he aged, he lost central vision, painted featureless faces and even had to ask his model to identify the colors of his pastels. Degas was diagnosed with chorioretinitis, a term that, in the 19th century, encompassed many conditions that scarred the retinaincluding age-related macular degeneration. Over time, he began using different colors, likely as a result of blue cone deficiency.
Camille Pissarro suffered from chronic dacryocystitis of his lacrimal sac with fistula formation. When he was young, he painted landscapes with peasants in rural le de France. However, following diagnosis, he was advised to avoid wind and dust and lived in constant fear that exposure would cause the dacryocystitis to recur. As a result, he moved his easel and canvasses indoors and created some of his finest paintings looking out of windows at the boulevards of
Mary Cassatt, who is considered to be the most famous American Impressionist, had diabetes. Unfortunately, since insulin was not discovered until 1920, she had to depend on dietary restrictions and bizarre methods of treatment, including radium therapy. This, coupled with worsening cataract, led her to switch from oils to pastels (which are more forgiving). Whats more, her smooth brush strokes became harsh and broken.
We will never know whether these artists would have reached the same heights if they had better vision. But one thing is certain: Although they may not have been able to fully see the world around them, they certainly made it more beautiful for the rest of us.
