The artist and defective sight (a book review and commentary).

BACKGROUND

Many authors have wondered if an artist "sees" things differently because of a vision disorder. For example, if a famous artist has a color deficiency, what would the effect be on his paintings? Would a painting be affected by a cataractous eye--or by presbyopia--or by diabetic retinopathy? Such questions have always interested the eye and vision specialist.

METHODS/RESULTS: A 1970 book entitled The World Through Blunted Sight, written by British ophthalmologist Patrick Trevor-Roper, attempts to answer those questions.

CONCLUSIONS

Interesting speculations are offered about the effects of myopia, astigmatism, presbyopia, and altered color vision on the works of such well-known artists as Monet, Holbein, Whistler, Gainsborough, and many others.