Emotional Force of Paintings

Did you ever hear of "Stendhal's Syndrome"? This is an actual psychosomatic illness that is caused by too much art. While most of us are emotionally moved by master works of art, those of us with Stendhal's Syndrome actually suffer dizziness, confusion, rapid heartbeat, and even hallucinations. The syndrome is named after a 19th century French author known as Stendhal (pen name of Henri-Marie Beyle), who wrote about how he became confused and dizzy while viewing Florentine art.

(A few of us may remember what it's like to hallucinate while viewing the art of Peter Max, the psychedelic poster-painter of the hippie generation. But this not the same--Stendhal's syndrome happens to otherwise drug-free individuals.)

What an amazing problem. I often watch people at galleries take in a quick breath when they see an incredible painting; their faces gape at the beauty as they stand and stare. I watch smiles appear. They point at the work and step back for a different view. This is when an artist knows they've captured an emotional spark.

My job as an artist is to paint emotion. I, for one, wish that everyone who sees my work will feel the emotion, and stop, stare and have happy hallucinations.