Cataracts and Art: The Sorry Story of Claude Monet

O259593

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• Publié par: ofubosut
• Nombre de lectures: 142
• Langue: English

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Cataracts and Art: The Sorry Story of Claude Monet

Poorab Sangani, M.D.

Cataracts are one of the most common eye problems that I see in my practice. The eye is

like a camera, and a cataract forms when the lens inside of the eye becomes clouded or

changes color such that less light and different colors of light are transmitted to the retina.

The retina, which is like the film in a camera, is responsible for “taking the picture” of

what we see.

As you can imagine, when the lens inside of the eye becomes clouded or changes

color, the “picture” of the world becomes dim, changes color, or becomes blurry. You

may notice this change when you have difficulty reading, when you have a problem

seeing street signs while driving, or when you realize that colors don’t appear as sharp as

they used to.

Cataracts are a very common problem, and only recently have our treatment

techniques improved such that we can recommend cataract surgery to most patients with

a high probability of success. Because cataracts could not be treated as effectively in the

past, however, many people had to suffer the effects of declining vision through their

later years of life. One of the most interesting examples of how cataracts affected an

individual and his work is found in the life of Claude Monet.

Born in 1840, Monet became the most celebrated of the Impressionist school of

painters and is considered today to be one of the most influential artists of the twentieth

century. His paintings grace the walls of the world’s most famous museums, and at

auctions his artwork has sold for as much as

$33 million

! Nevertheless, despite the

extraordinary fame and wealth that he achieved during his lifetime, Monet was afflicted

with a common problem—cataracts.

Despite his impressionist style of painting, Monet was known for his exceptional

eye, and his earlier works displayed an attention to detail and an eye for color that

distinguished him from his contemporaries. Unfortunately, as Monet grew older, his

vision began to deteriorate because of worsening cataracts. In Monet’s later years, his

paintings showed a definite shift in style and color due to his changing vision. Monet’s

brushstrokes were larger, the images were blurrier, and, perhaps most striking, he

abandoned the pastel white and blue tones that had marked his earlier paintings in favor

of the yellow, brown, and red tones that he now observed through his worsening

cataracts. Monet lamented the change in his vision and ultimately had cataract surgery,

but he was never satisfied with the results of the operation.

If Monet had lived today, he would have had cataract surgery much earlier in his

life, and he likely would have had excellent vision that would have satisfied even his

demanding needs. It is unlikely that any of us will become a master painter like Monet or

that we will sell any of our paintings for millions of dollars, but unlike Monet and

countless others in the past, we can have our cataracts treated in a way that allows us to

regain our sight—and thrive.