“I put my heart and soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.”
– Vincent Van Gogh –
Starry Night, by Vincent van Gogh
How much of van Gogh’s artistic ability and creativity was a direct result of his mental condition? Hundreds of physicians and psychiatrists have tried to define van Gogh’s medical conditions over the years. One of those conditions that he has been diagnosed with post-humously is bipolar disorder.
“Due to Van Gogh’s extreme enthusiasm and dedication to first religion and then art coupled with the feverish pace of his art production many believe that mania was a prominent condition in Van Gogh’s life. However, these episodes were always followed by exhaustion and depression and ultimately suicide. Therefore, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or manic depression makes sense with the accounts of these episodes in Van Gogh’s life.”
