How To Understand How Eye Disease Affects Art

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Angelina Richardson
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1 The Role of Ocular Disease in Art By: Alessandra Sugrañes

2 Several world renowned artists have dealt with and experienced ocular disease that has greatly influenced their art. Before the 20 th century the major problems plaguing artists were due to aging such as cataracts. Once cataract surgery became a practical option, diseases such as glaucoma and retinal ailments became the main afflictions. Artists like Monet and Degas had their lives and their art severely change due to their eye disease. By investigating the causes, progress, and treatment of their ocular disease I hope to gain a better understanding of how different ocular ailments have influenced the perspective and production of art of different artists.

Once cataract surgery became a practical option, diseases such as glaucoma and retinal ailments became the main afflictions.

3 Monet Claude Monet ( ) was arguably the most famous Impressionist, and one of the most well known artists today. In 1912, Monet was diagnosed with bilateral cataracts. He had been struggling with color perception for a couple of years before then. This was a big problem for him because his artistic career focused on the perception of color and light. He refused surgery until 1923 when he only had light perception in his right eye. He underwent surgery in the right eye only. Claude Monet, The Japanese Footbridge, Oil on canvas. 8 During the years when Monet s vision was severely compromised by his cataract his painting changed drastically. They went from focusing on a naturalistic style (above) to a more abstract and obscure representation of the same object (left). His later works were full of dense swirls and loose strokes of color. In his earlier works he uses more representative colors, several greens and blues. His later paintings featured several maroons, rusts, and oranges, which had not been seen often in his earlier works. Claude Monet, The Japanese Footbridge, Oil on Canvas. 9

He refused surgery until 1923 when he only had light perception in his right eye. He underwent surgery in the right eye only. Claude Monet, The Japanese Footbridge, 1899. Oil on canvas.

4 Claude Monet. Water Lilies, Oil on canvas 10 After cataract surgery Monet became severely depressed due to the slow and painstaking recovery at the time. It was not until 1925 that he fully recovered and had normal vision in his right eye. Monet continued to paint after his surgery and his paintings more closely resembled his earlier works (Figure 6, 7). He never again used such vivid colors or broad strokes as he did during his cataract days. The painting above was done before Monet was afflicted with cataracts, and the one to the right is after his cataract surgery and recovery. Both works are of similar style. Claude Monet. Water Lilies: Morning with Weeping Willows, Oil on canvas 2

Monet continued to paint after his surgery and his paintings more closely resembled his earlier works (Figure 6, 7).

5 Degas Edgar Degas was a French Impressionist well known for his depiction of the human form through his art. He had a healthy and relatively visually unimpaired youth followed by a long-lasting incapacitating blindness that ultimately led him to sacrifice his love of painting. It is known that he suffered from a retinal disease, but the details remain unknown because his ophthalmologist s records are no longer in existence. He frequently complained of intolerance to bright light, blurring in parts of his visual fields, as well as a blind spot in the center of his visual field. His visual problems plagued him for the greater part of his life, and led his art to change through time. This early painting of his (left) shows great precision and detail in his paintings, whereas in his later works (right) he could no longer portray faces or hands and his painting is much coarser. He ultimately was forced to quit painting and turn to sculpting, where the use of his hands greatly helped him, as his form of artistic expression. Edgar Degas, Two Dancers on a Stage, Oil on Canvas. 14 Figure 10: Edgar Degas, Two Dancers Resting I, Pastel on Paper 2

It is known that he suffered from a retinal disease, but the details remain unknown because his ophthalmologist s records are no longer in existence.

6 A surprising number of artists were stricken by eye disease, many more than the few I have mentioned in this presentation. There are artists who were afflicted at a young age, such as Degas, and found amazing ways to let it sway their art. There are also artists like Monet, who changed their style without knowing, creating beautiful abstract pieces of art. Through this presentation I hoped to point out the way eye disease played a major role in these artists lives, which was transmitted through their art. Their ocular problem was always in the back of their mind, whether the artists were trying to camouflage it or trying to incorporate it, it was constantly present and ultimately expressed itself in their art. References: 1. "How Your Eyes Work." How Your Eyes Work. American Optometric Association, Web. 23 Feb The Artist's Eyes: Vision and the History of Art (01 October 2009) by Michael F. Marmor, James G. Ravin 3. Trobe, Jonathan, MD. "The Eyes Have It: Principal Ophthalmic Conditions." The Eyes Have It: Principal Ophthalmic Conditions. The Regents of the University of Michigan, Web. 23 Feb Sweet, Frederick A. "Mary Cassatt." The Art Institute of Chicago Quarterly 48.1 (1954): 4-9. JSTOR. Web. 23 Feb Kline, Don, Dr. "Art, Vision, and the Disordered Eye." Mary Cassatt. The Vision and Aging Lab, University of Calgary, 10 Oct Web. 6. Auricchio, Laura. "Claude Monet ( )". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, (October 2004) 7. Kline, Don, Dr. "Art, Vision, and the Disordered Eye." Claude Monet. The Vision and Aging Lab, University of Calgary, 10 Oct Web Trevor-Roper, Patrick. The World Through Blunted Sight. N.p.: Penguin Group, Print. 12. Kendall, Richard. "Degas and the Contingency of Vision." The Burlington Magazine (1988): JSTOR. Web. 24 Feb Kendall, Richard. "Degas: Vision and Perception." British Journal of Visual Impairment 6.3 (1988): Web Kline, Don, Dr. "Art, Vision, and the Disordered Eye." Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas. The Vision and Aging Lab, University of Calgary, 10 Oct Web. 17. Michelet, Johan F. "Edvard Munch." Books Abroad 25.3 (1955): JSTOR. Web. 25 Feb Marmor, Michael. "A Brief History of Macular Grids: From Thomas Reid to Edvard Munch and Marc Amsler." History of Ophthalmology 44.4 (2000): Marmor, Michael. "Inside the Eye of the Beholder." Tate Etc 25 (2012): n. pag. Web. 25 Feb Lynes, Barbara B. "Visiting Georgia O'Keeffe." Chicago Journals: The Smithsonian American Art Museum 20.3 (2006): 2-7. JSTOR. Web. 25 Feb Trobe, Jonathan, MD. "Age Related Macular Degeneration: Retinal Drusen." The Eyes Have It: Principal Ophthalmic Conditions. The Regents of the University of Michigan, Web. 25 Feb Trobe, Jonathan, MD. " Age-related Macular Degeneration: Submacular Hemorrhage." The Eyes Have It: Principal Ophthalmic Conditions. The Regents of the University of Michigan, Web. 25 Feb

There are also artists like Monet, who changed their style without knowing, creating beautiful abstract pieces of art.

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