Art & Medicine:Art & Medicine:Diagnosing the CanvasDiagnosing the Canvas

American College of PhysiciansFlorida Chapter

2013 Scientific Meeting2013 Scientific MeetingOctober 5th, 2013

John Sinnott MD FACPChairman Internal MedicineChairman, Internal MedicineUniversity of South Florida

Michelangelo, Creation, 1534

Suk. I, Neurosurg. 2010; 66Michelangelo “The separation of light from darkness”

Suk, I. Neurosurg. 2010; 66“The separation of light from darkness”

What is Art?What is Art?

“Art is symbolic expression”

“Nothing is as it seems”

King Lear 1:1, Shakespeare ~1600King Lear 1:1, Shakespeare 1600

How Old is Art?How Old is Art?Floriensis, Neanderthalis and Denisova coexistent species , p

produced no known art.

200 000 BCE Sc lpt re Morocco~200,000 BCE Sculpture - Morocco~100,000 BCE Blombos Cave - SA ~30,000 BCE Cave paintings - Spain, p g p

…the product of H. sapiens. “Art reflects the evolution of symbolic thought”sy bo c oug

Zimmer C. Smithsonian Guide to Human Origins. Harper Perennial: 2007

Art vs. Science• Science is “We”; art is “I”• Science builds on the past;Science builds on the past;

art often rejects the past• Science progresses; art changes• Science reassures; art disturbs• Science reassures; art disturbs

Painting:g• What makes a masterpiece?

Vi i–Virtuosity–InnovationInnovation–Vision

Dell C. What Makes A Masterpiece? Thames & Hudson: 2010

How Do We Look at a Painting?

• Subject • Space + LightSubject Space Light

• Technique • Personal Taste

• Symbolism • Historical StyleSymbolism Historical Style

Barbe-Gall F. How to Look at a Painting. Frances Lincoln: 2011

Rembrandt van Ryn, Self-portrait, 1659

Diseases:• Rhinoph ma• Rhinophyma• Rosacea• Rosacea• Seborrheic dermatitisSeborrheic dermatitis• Xanthelasma• Depression (?)p ( )

How We See a Painting: gTHE BRAINTHE BRAIN

I R ti El t i l i l B iImage Retina Electrical impulse Brain

Neuro Optic Pathwaysp y

a) Parvo – lines (Kemp, 1990) ) ( p, )b) Blob – color (Zeki, 1990)) ( )c) Magno – space (Hubel, 1995)

Ivan Albright, Self-portraits, 1982A “magic realist”

Line Color Space

Ivan Albright, Self-portraits, 1983

Line Color Space

How We See a Painting:OUR CONSCIOUSNESS

“Paintings are magnificent illusions ”illusions.”

(Espinel, 1998)

Trompe l’oeil

Zeki S., et al. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. 1993; 252(1335): 215-22

Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, 1664

Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, 1664

Wyeth, Christina’s World, 1948

Munch, Self-portrait after the Spanish Flu, 1919

The Role of the Doctor

Albrecht Dürer, Christ among the Doctors, 1506

Van Gogh, Portrait of Doctor Gachet, Digitalis purpurea, 1890

George Tooker, Corporate Decision, 1983

Art: A Product of Illness

i bi l i b i f i i• Genetic- biologic basis of creativity

• Association with mental illness

• Association with physical illnessAssociation with physical illness

Akinola M, et al. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2008; 34(12): 1677-86.

Van Gogh, Starry Night, 1889

Monet, 1880-1902

Paul Klee, 1879-1940

William Utermohlen, Self-portrait pre and post Alzheimer’s diagnosis, 1996

William Utermohlen, Self-portraits with Alzheimer’s, 1997

William Utermohlen, Self-portraits with Alzheimer’s, 1998, 1999, 2000

William Utermohlen, Self-portraits with Alzheimer’s

Th t f t d di iThe story of art and medicine is….

………….To be continued

FootnotesAkinola M, et al. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2008; 34(12): 1677-86.Barbe-Gall F. How to Look at a Painting. Frances Lincoln: 2011. Crutch SJ, et al. Lancet. 2001; 357: 2129-33.Dell C. What Makes A Masterpiece? Thames & Hudson: 2010. Espinel CH. Lancet 1997; 350: 1835-37.Espinel CH. Lancet. 1998; 352: 2007-09.Ludwig AM. The Price of Greatness: Resolving the creativity and Madness C G ilf d 199Controversy. Guilford: 1995.Palmiero M, et al. Cog Proc. 2012: 13(3): 193-209.Schaumberg DA, et al. JAMA. 2004; 292(22): 2750-54.S k I t l N 2010 66(5) 851 61Suk I., et al, Neurosurg. 2010; 66(5): 851-61.Weisberg RW. Psychol Sci. 1994; 5: 361-67.Zeki S., et al. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. 1993; 252(1335): 215-222.Zi C S ith i G id t H O i i H P i l 2007Zimmer C. Smithsonian Guide to Human Origins. Harper Perennial: 2007.