Pain of Great Art

The notion of the "suffering artist" has long been a potent one, and a new examination of masterpieces from the past suggests it may not be far off the mark. A California pathologist believes illness, environmental poisons and drug use may have colored the creations of Michelangelo, Raphael, Vincent Van Gogh, and Renaissance sculptor Benvenuto Cellini. "Their inspiration may have been shaped by their human condition," concludes Dr. Paul L. Wolf, a professor of clinical pathology at the University of California, San Diego, and author of an article on the subject in the November issue of Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine For the full story - click the title Irish Art