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Artistic depictions of the eyes and blindness throughout history
Author(s) -
Bullock J.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2017.03674
Subject(s) - blindness , sight , theme (computing) , representation (politics) , aesthetics , art , expression (computer science) , change blindness , visual arts , psychology , optometry , medicine , perception , neuroscience , computer science , law , physics , politics , political science , programming language , operating system , astronomy
Summary Sight has always been the fundamental means by which we human beings relate to our environment and to each other. We use our eyesight to perceive, to understand, and to ascertain the truth. For thousands of years, artists have depicted the theme of blindness and have portrayed its transforming effects. The eyes of the blind are frequently illustrated no differently from those of other, presumably sighted, figures. In addition, since neither most artists nor observers are ophthalmologicly sophisticated, with rare exceptions, it is highly unusual for the artist to depict authentic ocular pathology. The various methods of artistic representation of blindness are given with numerous examples. While it is clear that the artistic renderings of blindness, depicted across various media of expression, are extremely varied, there have been some amazing constants throughout recorded history, even though medical understanding of, and our ability to restore, vision, has undergone almost incomprehensible change. Oscar Wilde said: “…art imitates life.” It is clear that the fear of blindness and the appreciation of our precious gift of sight, as depicted in art, have changed little over the ages.