There was a real revolution in the art world when an exhibition opened in London entirely dedicated to works of art created by patients of a famous psychiatric clinic. This unusual artistic experiment turned out to be a real bedlam in the art world, attracting the attention of both connoisseurs and ordinary citizens, and the creative explosion that erupted left its mark on the history of art exhibitions.

Details of the exhibition and the psychological aspect of creativity in the art of patients

 

In the halls of the Wellcome Collection gallery in London, a portal has opened into the amazing world of art created by the hands of those who survived the psychic whirlwinds within the walls of the Bethlem Royal Psychiatric Hospital, known to everyone as Bedlam. The exhibition, entitled “Bedlam: The Asylum and Beyond” features not only the stunning artwork of the patient artists, but also amazing stories intertwined with creative inspiration.

Among the works at the exhibition you can find not only images of difficult life and mental vicissitudes, but also works that have become inspiration for celebrities. One of the amazing creations tugged at the heartstrings of Queen's Freddie Mercury, prompting him to create one of his famous songs.

The exhibition also reveals a drawing created by the hand of King George III's would-be assassin, giving viewers a glimpse into the absurdity of the human psyche. The worlds of Vaslav Nijinsky and Van Gogh intertwine here, creating an amazing contrast and allowing you to think about how the perception of mental illness has changed in different eras.

However, the exhibition is not only about the past - it asks questions about the present. Where do you draw the line between “sanity” and “insanity”? What prejudices and stereotypes do we carry with us when we look at the work of those who survived the storm in their own minds?

Together with works of art, the exhibition provides a truly philosophical look at the nature of genius and the fine line between creativity and 'madness'. Bedlam is not just an exhibition - it is an immersion in a stunning psycho-emotional labyrinth, where every brush, every line tells its own unique story, revealing the secrets of the human soul.

St. Mary's Hospital of Bethlehem, which later became the Bethlehem Royal Hospital, was founded in London in the 13th century. She received specialization later - in 1377, becoming the first institution for the mentally ill in Europe. Her scandalous story formed the basis of several horror books, thrillers and TV series. Among them is the famous film “Bedlam” (1946), in which Boris Karloff played the main role. The hospital was originally located at Bishop's Gate outside the City of London Wall. It then moved around - in the 17th and 19th centuries - until in 1930 it ended up in its current location, in the borough of Croydon.

"Mental Asylum Sound Grove"

 

Drawing by Adolf Wölfli (1864 - 1930) entitled “Mental Asylum Sound Grove” (1910) from the Kunstmuseum Bern. As a child, Wölfli was subjected to sexual and physical abuse, and from 1895 until the end of his life he was in the Waldau clinic (Switzerland) as a schizophrenic. There, at the age of 35, he began to create similar drawings, which even included musical notations of musical fragments.

The exhibition compares historical material and medical records with personal testimonies and writings. These works depict mental asylums as physical and imaginary spaces

The “folk” name of the clinic - Bedlam - became a common noun in the English language, from where it came into Russian. This word originally meant any institution for the insane, and later became synonymous with chaos and confusion. Despite the fact that the hospital is now a modern psychiatric institution, historically it was one of the worst asylums for the insane.

"Forgotten Things"

 

 

Work by an unknown artist from the collection of Edward Adamson (1911 - 1996), artist and "father of art therapy" in Britain, was used in the short film Lost Things (2014) by Pia Borg and Edward Lawrenson.

Richard Dadd

 

 

The name of Richard Dadd is one of the first on the list of the most famous patients of Bedlam. In his youth, this artist was predicted to have a brilliant career. But in 1842, returning from a trip to the Middle East, he suddenly imagined that he had received messages from the ancient Egyptian gods and had uncovered the Pope's conspiracy. A year later, 26-year-old Richard stabbed his own father to death, mistaking him for the devil incarnate - and ended up in Bedlam for 20 years, from where he was transferred to Broadmoor in 1864.

Both institutions provided Richard Dadd with paint and materials for painting—contrary to modern caricatures of Victorian asylums being “brutal madhouses.”

Richard Dadd, "Portrait of Sir Alexander Morrison, Psychiatrist"

 

The “face” of the exhibition “Bedlam: The Asylum and Beyond” is a portrait of Sir Alexander Morrison, a pioneer of 19th-century psychiatry. Richard Dadd painted this painting at the end of the doctor’s 17-year collaboration with the Bethlem Clinic. The Doctor appears with a top hat in his hand against the backdrop of his estate in Newhaven, north of Edinburgh. The artist, naturally, did not go to Scotland, but painted the background based on the sketches of Morrison’s daughter. The two women behind are fishmongers, most likely drawn from a photograph. Their squat, dense figures contrast with the tall and thin doctor, whose gaunt face is clearly marked by his profession. Dadd sees Morrison as a heroic and lonely pillar of compassion. However, the shaggy gray hair makes the psychiatrist look like one of his patients.

James Hadfield, "Epitaph for my poor Jack, Squirrel II", 1834

 

Among the many stunning works of art in the exhibition Bedlam: The Asylum and Beyond, one exhibit that captures an unusual emotional story stands out as particularly moving. We are talking about the image of a tame squirrel created by James Hadfield - the man whose fate was intertwined with Bedlam as a result of the assassination attempt on King George III at Drury Lane Theatre.

Hadfield became a historical figure, not only because his action led to him being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, but also due to a unique decision by a British court. For the first time in history, in 1800, the court found him not guilty, based on a state of insanity. At that time, an attempt on the life of a monarch was usually sentenced to death, but Hadfield smiled at unheard-of liberalism.

In the exhibition, his work, created in 1834, is an exceptional expression of emotion. The tame squirrel that kept Hadfield company in 'Bedlam' became a symbol of his loneliness and sadness. The drawing reflected not only the tragic death of a little friend, but also deep thoughts about lost freedom and incredible twists of fate.

This story becomes not only part of the exhibition space, but also the key to understanding how the destinies of people are intertwined with the worlds of 'Bedlam', creating masterpieces that can touch the hearts of visitors and leave an indelible mark on the history of psychiatry and art.

 

Works above and below: merchant John Gilmour was in mental asylums in Glasgow and Dumfries, suffering from paranoid delusions. He believed that he had infected his wife and children with syphilis, and they, in retaliation, sent him to a mental hospital. With his satirical and allegorical drawings made in 1910, he protested against the system that kept him locked up.

 

At the exhibition 'Bedlam: The Asylum and Beyond', shrouded in an aura of mystery and genius, not only the creations of the patients of Bethlem Hospital attract attention, but also the works of famous mentally ill artists, among whom Vaslav Nijinsky and Vincent Van Gogh stand out.

The dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, who ended his short but brilliant career in 1918, became one of those who left his mark on the history of art and psychiatry. Diagnosed with schizophrenia after the end of his dancing career could not completely absorb his creative fire. In various psychiatric clinics, where he was periodically treated, Nijinsky created amazing drawings, mainly from repeating circles and ovals, reflecting his world through a unique language of shapes and colors.

On the other hand, Vincent Van Gogh, after time spent at the St. Paul's Clinic in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, created his only engraving in art - 'Man with a Pipe'. This portrait of his doctor Paul Ferdinand Gachet became not only a work of art, but also a mirror of the artist’s perception of the world and people around him. Van Gogh described Gachet as 'something like a new brother', nervous and strange, reflecting his impressions of his close acquaintance with this interesting personal world.

These creations not only reveal the world of the mentally ill, but also provide viewers with clues to the fine line between genius and madness, forcing them to consider how art can be a healing force even in the darkest corners of the human mind.

In conclusion, Bedlam Art turns out to be not just a collection of works, but a magical guide into the minds of those who faced the world of mental difficulties. The exhibition 'Bedlam: The Asylum and Beyond' reveals to us the wealth of creativity born in the most incredible conditions. Strange, The patients' stirring and sometimes moving works not only inspire respect for their talent, but also challenge our ideas of normality and madness.

The art born in Bedlam becomes not only a chronicle of the lives of those who faced psychic storms, but also awakens within us a view of creativity embodied in the most unusual forms. These works are a kind of monument not only to those whose names remain in history, but also to all those who have ever felt the fine line between genius and restlessness of the soul. Bedlam art invites us to consider how creativity can be a healing force, even in the darkest corners of the human mind

We invite you to also explore our unique catalog of paintings from various genres. Here you will find a wide range of artistic works that represent a variety of creative expressions. From stunning landscapes to modern abstractions, our catalog offers a fascinating journey through the diversity of the art world. We invite you to immerse yourself in an amazing art experience where each painting tells its own unique story.