The Madman as Painter (2016)
city-journal.org
The Madman as Painter (2016)
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Re: The Madman as Painter (2016)
#2This article strongly suggests that Dadd’s psychosis was precipitated by consumption of hashish based on seemingly no evidence at all? Just that its use was widespread in Egypt where he traveled and that it can cause paranoia. This seems like quite a leap.
Re: The Madman as Painter (2016)
#3I loath articles like this. One does not have to be insane to be an artist. Nor does insanity make one an artist.
The kind of creativity to create the kinds of artwork the article talks about does not require one to have a mental illness.
I'm on the medications the article talks about, with great success. We only hear about the cases where medication has not worked effectively. My psychiatrist has many patients who are doing well on treatment and continuing their current professions.
I never would have flourished as an artist without medication. My creativity is more accessible and vivid than before. Treatment has come a long way in the last 20 years. We now know that high doses of lithium are not necessary in most cases. Much lower dosages are effective. My mix of medication has side effects, but they are manageable.
Therapy has come a long way. We now have effective therapies, such as CBT and DBT, which makes medication far more effective.
In short, this is a harmful narrative that deters people from seeking help. It is difficult to get committed involuntary most places. Voluntary treatment can always be discontinued.
Re: The Madman as Painter (2016)
#4I loath articles like this. One does not have to be insane to be an artist. Nor does insanity make one an artist. The kind of creativity to create the kinds of artwork the article talks about does not require one to have a mental illness. I'm on the medications the article talks about, with great success. We only hear about the cases where medication has not worked effectively. My psychiatrist has many patients who a…
I read the piece and I felt it lacking in nuance. Especially the latter part passing a rather harsh value attribution on modern medication. Which doesn't seem in line with the author characterizing themselves multiple times as a physician throughout the piece
That's when I got curious and looked at the author's name.
> Theodore Dalrymple.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Dalrymple
Well, that's in line with what I'd expect from him and the ideological traditions he represents through his writings. The author purposely romanticizes the past because it fits his reactionary stance against many contemporary norms and values prevalent in Western society. In this article, the implicit conclusion reads: Dadd's talent and hard work causing the Victorians to treat him differently despite of his condition. And so, people today just have to take agency over their own lives in order to uplift themselves as a moral duty to society, regardless of their condition.
Of course, that's just not how the human mind works. I totally agree, at worst, this is a harmful line of thinking to follow.