The Fault in Painting a Tragedy as a Romance

On the night of December 23, 1888, a Dutch artist’s suffering had nearly reached its brim after an intense argument with his French peer, Paul Gaugin. Tempers flared, and Gaugin found himself on the other end of a razor blade and threatening words. In his manic depressive state, Vincent Van Gogh turned the blade on himself and cut off a piece of his own ear; later bringing it to a prostitute to express his admiration for her.

You may have heard this story on various occasions, as it is perhaps the story that is most affiliated with Van Gogh’s life. It is uncommon to hear his name without some mention of this occurrence, or the myth of his affinity for ingesting yellow paint to induce happiness. Many describe Van Gogh as a “tortured mind” or perhaps a “tormented creator”. However, these titles are the result of a common misconception about mental illness’ role in many prominent artist’s lives.

I’d like to clarify my belief that mental illness’ existence in their lives has served as an inspiration for many of their works.

There is undoubtedly a connection between mental illness and spurs of creativity in individuals. The suffering one may face frequently leads to art being utilized as a platform of expression for it. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and on a personal level art has served as an escape and as a mode of expression. I am writing this piece to highlight the problem that is the romanticization of mental illness in art.

Self Portrait, Vincent Van Gogh, 1887

The glorified manner of which it’s frequently discussed leads to a common association between mental illness and art. More specifically, the assumption that one must suffer constantly and consistently for them to produce passable artwork. Manic depression is NOT a necessity or prelude for creativity. As Callum Armitage states in his wonderful piece about this same topic, “Suffering is, certainly, an intrinsic factor of mental health issues — but it rarely contributes directly to creative inspiration, despite the widely held romantic beliefs which commonly suggest otherwise.”.

A common correlation that stems from Van Gogh’s productivity is that many artists will be inspired by their suffering during a depressive episode, and therefore produce more pieces. Throughout his life, Van Gogh would find himself drifting in and out of manic states, some of which were more likely to make him feel productive and energetic than anything else. As he described it himself, “It is true that I am often in the greatest misery, but still there is within me a calm, pure harmony and music.” As Jane Collingwood states in her article The Link Between Bipolar Disorder and Creativity, “During the early stages of a manic episode, people can be very happy, productive and creative. They have less need for sleep and don’t feel tired.” This would explain the period of enhanced productivity (specifically creatively) during the time Van Gogh found himself in the countryside and when he took his life.

In truth, it is extremely rare for an artist to find themselves at their most creative during a time where they feel depressed. F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote “Every act of life, from the morning toothbrush to the friend at dinner, became an effort. I hated the night when I couldn’t sleep and I hated the day because it went toward night.”

I have always been less inclined to pick up a brush and paint, or sit in front of my laptop and type, during a time where it feels as if life is beating down on me.

I’d like to close this piece by stating that the point being made here is something that I deem to be a necessary reiteration, rather than a unique composition in any regard. The romanticization of mental illness in art history, particularly that imposed upon prominent artists by outside observers, is an act that needs to be highlighted for what it is: A problem.

Written by Julius Miller and edited by Tim Gray, Teagan Foti