Between Euphoria and Anguish is the Tortured Artist

Known as a stock stereotype, the Tortured Artist was constantly tormented by his art, people, and world; he was mentally unwell. Isolated from the rest of us, he secluded himself in a cramped room to dull the aching of his troubled mind. The Tortured Artist had sliced off his own ear in an act of guilt, overdosed on harmful and illicit substances, and attempted suicide. He loved his Art and poured himself into this singular obsession until there was nothing but singular obsession left.

The Van Gogh Tragedy (1853-1890)

The Tortured Artist experienced a life of commercial failure and rejection, and his works were not fully appreciated until long after his death.

From a young age, the Tortured Artist could not find stability, jumping from one career or schooling path to the next as he searched for purpose in vain. He worked as an art dealer, and then an Evangelist, but neither profession held compassion for his plagued soul. Though restless from illusions, fainting spells, and bouts of terrible depression that consumed his waking thoughts, the Tortured Artist filled his palettes with vivacity and color. 

Irises (1889) Vincent van Gogh; Oil Paint 71 x 93 cm

In a fit of guilt, or perhaps madness, he attacked his visiting friend with a razor, then sliced off his own left ear to repent for a sin only a Tortured Artist could commit. He wrote to his brother a few days before his passing: 

‘If I could have worked without this accursed disease, what things I might have done.’

In their blissful naivety, the ignorant would effuse over the anguish in his Art. Yet behind each brushstroke lies a tragedy of human suffering that should not be glorified.

The Paradox of Plato (435-356 B.C.)

The Tortured Artist may not be the most fitting archetype for a tormented soul. At the Academy of Athens, the Tortured Artist was carved in marble, preserving his legacy for eternity.

After witnessing Socrates’ trial and execution in 399 BCE, the Tortured Artist was deeply distressed by his mentor’s death. He withdrew from politics and fully devoted himself to his Art. Unlike other philosophers of his time who developed independent theories, the Tortured Artist sought to continue his mentor’s legacy. 

His relationship with his mentor was one of profound admiration. Socrates’ teachings were committed to truth-seeking, which was reflected in the Tortured Artist’s establishment of the Academy, an institution renowned for higher learning in Athens. Although the bond between mentor and student was tragic and short-lived, the Tortured Artist aimed to cultivate the minds of aspiring intellectuals and philosophers, including Aristotle. 

Even so, the Tortured Artist may hate the Arts himself. The engineers who built the Parthenon in Athens put their expertise into the structure, yet the painters, poets, singers, and writers replicated it again in an inferior form. Art imitates the objects and events of ordinary life. Therefore, the dramatic Art of the Tortured Artist’s times has no value in his eyes, as their didactic illusion of reality could prove dangerous to the layman:

‘A work of art is a copy of a copy of a Form. Works of art are at best entertainment, and at worst a dangerous delusion.’

The Troubled Voice of Cobain (1967-1994)

Struggling behind the stage with undiagnosed depression, chronic pain, and addiction, the Tortured Artist realized his newfound fame amplified his burdens. His anguished lyrics, though cathartic for listeners, offered imperfect solutions to inner turmoil, even misunderstood. Media attention exacerbated the Tortured Artist’s feelings of isolation. He attempted to self-medicate with heroin and spiraled into addiction.

The Tortured Artist was named the frontman for 90s grunge, giving voice to the disenfranchised youth. But he hated the popularity and deserved compassion, not mystification. Far from some glorious fate, the Tortured Artist’s unaddressed issues led to an early death at the age of 27. 

Mental illness destroyed the Tortured Artist, as it destroys many, but it does not define him nor his legacy. 

‘I sing and play the guitar, and I'm a walking, talking bacterial infection.’

The Tortured Artists (Now)

The Tortured Artist now lives with you and me. He is underpaid, overworked, and pushed to his brink. He is in constant torment. And yet those who see the Tortured Artist merely smile and idealize the notion that his torment fuels his creativity.

Works Cited

Barnebys. (2023). Vincent van Gogh: The Myth of the Tortured Artist | Barnebys Magazine. [online] Available at: https://www.barnebys.com/blog/vincent-van-gogh-the-myth-of-the-tortured-artist.

Benjamin, M. (2015). What does Plato think of art? |Did he hate it? [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcYbH5X7MpQ&ab_channel=MattBenjamin [Accessed 10 Mar. 2024].

Horses (2023). The Unending Violence of Vincent van Gogh. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgikYwXb55k&ab_channel=Horses [Accessed 10 Mar. 2024].

Hullinger, J. (2015). Scientists: The ‘Tortured Artist’ Is a Real Thing. [online] www.mentalfloss.com. Available at: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/64852/scientists-tortured-artist-real-thing.

Jose Manuel Miana (2023). The Dark Side of Nirvana: How Kurt Cobain Struggled with Fame, Drugs and Depression. [online] Medium. Available at: https://jmmiana.medium.com/the-dark-side-of-nirvana-how-kurt-cobain-struggled-with-fame-drugs-and-depression-ec0938b9800c [Accessed 12 Mar. 2024].

Schmidt, C. (2022). The van Gogh Tragedy. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/manual-focus/the-van-gogh-tragedy-7c594bb0baf0.

users.rowan.edu. (n.d.). Aesthetics - Plato’s Aesthetics. [online] Available at: https://users.rowan.edu/~clowney/Aesthetics/philos_artists_onart/plato.htm.