The insanity of the artist 2

How did Francis Bacon manage to come to terms with his chaotic past by depicting it in his violent and anguished paintings? How did Alberto Giacometti, like a tightrope walker on the verge of falling, seek to represent the enigma of a perception of being that constantly eluded him? How did Vaslav Nijinski, the fabulous dancer and choreographer of the Ballets Russes, descend into madness after suffering childhood traumas? How did Antonin Artaud, confronted with childhood traumas, oscillate throughout his life between boundless creativity and bouts of madness? How did Vincent van Gogh, in order to reach the pinnacle of his art, put himself in danger through his creative pursuit to the point of taking his own life? How did Camille Claudel exhaust herself through her passionate life and work, only to end up institutionalized and never create again? How did Niki de Saint-Phalle, through artistic expression, manage to heal herself from depression linked to the trauma of incest?

Why do some artists descend into madness while others navigate life unscathed? Why do some patients find relief—and sometimes even a cure—through creation? Why do so many artists feel an obsessive need to create relentlessly? To these fascinating questions, The Madness of the Artist provides answers regarding the links between certain forms of artistic creation and certain neuropsychiatric disorders.

This new edition is informed by recent discoveries in neuroscience research.

The sources for this research are the real, documented stories of artists: what they experienced, what they said about it, what drove them to create, what they invest of their innermost selves in their creative act, how far their passion for creation leads them, what enabled them to become fulfilled artists or, conversely, to experience psychological suffering, or even to descend into madness—sometimes to the point of taking their own lives.

Thierry Delcourt: Psychiatrist, researcher on the creative process, director of the Francophone Child Psychiatry Collective and Alfapsy International, author, and lecturer on the creative process, existential and artistic creativity, child psychiatry, and the status of women. Recent publications: I Don’t Know Who I Am Anymore, Max Milo 2025, La capacité créative, Éres, 2024, Je ne veux plus aller à l’école, Max Milo, 2023, La fabrique des enfants anormaux, Max Milo, 2021, Hystériques ? Histoire de la violence thérapeutique faite aux femmes, Eyrolles, 2021, Quand la crise devient une chance, Eyrolles, 2018…