Vincent van Gogh and Tortured Artists

"The sadness will last forever."

The trope of the tortured artist, "the sometimes misunderstood genius who turns their pain into art, using frustrations with the world and their life as a tool to create the ultimate masterpieces," is actually quite an old one, tracing back to Plato's idea of creativity as "divine madness" (Neath, 2023). It continues to be found in the lives of many artistic figures, such as Sylvia Plath and Kurt Cobain (Neath, 2023). Perhaps the most famous example of a tortured artist, however, is Vincent van Gogh.

When people discuss the tortured artists, Vincent van Gogh is understandably one of the first examples to come to mind. van Gogh created exquisite works of art throughout his whole life while simultaneously dealing with extremely disabling mental illnesses (most commonly assumed to include bipolar disorder, among other possibilities), self-medication with alcohol, and malnutrition (Armitage, 2019). Even in the present, we cannot help but add a lens of pain and suffering to his art. In 2014, van Tilburg and Igou conducted a study examining how knowledge of an artist's "eccentricity" affects both people's perception of that artist's skill and their appreciation of the artist's work. In the first experiment of this study, van Tilburg and Igou found that participants evaluated van Gogh's Sunflowers more positively when they were informed that van Gogh had cut off his left earlobe than when they were not given this information (2014). The eccentricity of an artist led participants to believe that the artist displayed a greater authenticity and skill in their work (van Tilburg & Igou, 2014).

As someone who struggles with mental issues of her own, it is always disheartening to hear people dismiss mine and others' struggles simply because it supposedly benefits us in some dramatic, fantastical way. Creative endeavors can indeed be a perfect outlet for suffering that would otherwise be left unexplored; art therapy is a thing for a reason. What I find people tend to forget, though, is that an outlet is supposed to release this suffering, not fixate on it and exacerbate it. When we subscribe to the idea that great works can only come from great suffering, we limit ourselves to a palette of blood, sweat, and tears. To quote Diane Nguyen from BoJack Horseman,

...if I don't, that means that all the damage I got isn't good damage, it's just damage. I have gotten nothing out of it, and all those years I was miserable was for nothing. I could've been happy this whole time…is that what you're saying? What was it all for? (Bob-Waksberg et al., 2020)

When people desperately try to delude themselves into thinking their suffering is so beneficial to them that the pain becomes the point, they lose sight of the ecstatic beauty that could be granted to them if they could only seek out the light in their lives. Vincent van Gogh, for example, created some of his best-known paintings, such as The Starry Night and Almond Blossoms, while recovering in Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, an asylum (van Gogh Museum).

In The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin discusses tortured artists in "The Possessed," and I wholeheartedly agree with his opinion on it. Two quotes stood out to me in particular. First, "art does not unravel the maker, but makes them whole" (Rubin, 2023, p. 324). How can we possibly appreciate the gifts of the Source if there is no secure being to receive them? When our soul is so clouded and blocked by pain and agony, we must heal it before we can freely connect to the creative energies that flow through us. Second, Rubin says, "Whether you have a powerful passion or a tortured compulsion, neither makes the art any better or worse" (Rubin, 2023, p. 324). I believe this quote ties in perfectly with what Rubin says in "Implications (Purpose)": "There doesn't need to be a purpose guiding what we choose to make…When we're making things we love, our mission is accomplished" (Rubin, 2023, pp. 313-314).

Ultimately, Vincent van Gogh succumbed to his mental illnesses when he committed suicide at 37 years old. It is possible that if he had received mental health care that the present has to offer, he may have learned to coexist and manage them. Unfortunately, we can only treat him as a cautionary tale. Abandon the idea that self-destruction will somehow build something sustainable. Healing will bring you more lasting beauty than any self-imposed torture ever can.

https://postscriptpublication.wordpress.com/2019/03/04/van-gogh-and-romanticizing-the-tortured-artist/

https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/art-and-stories/stories/vincents-illness-and-the-healing-power-of-art

Bob-Waksberg, R., Calo, J. (Writers), & Bowman, J. (Director). (2020, January 31). Good Damage (Season 6, Episode 10) [TV Series Episode]. In W. Arnett, R. Bob-Waksberg, N. Bright, S. A. Cohen, A. Paul (Executive Producers), BoJack Horseman. Boxer vs. Raptor; ShadowMachine; Tornante Television.

Rubin, R. (2023). The Creative Act: A Way of Being. Penguin Random House.