Arguably a painter’s most important tool is vision. Unfortunately, it is commonplace for vision to deteriorate with advancing age. This deterioration can lead to a decrease in colour and contrast discrimination, increased glare and a decreased field of view. These perceptual changes will all affect the way an artist perceives the world, an effect which can be observed through changes in their artistic style and composition. Take Monet for example. As he grew older, Monet developed severe cataracts in both eyes. By the age of 65 this disorder was already affecting his visual acuity and colour vision. He could no longer perceive a vivid colour pallete, instead seeing the world as desaturated and yellow. This change was reflected in his art. Monet painted a series of canvases depicting water lilies in the gardens of his home town Giverny. The changes in his visual perception can be seen in the two images below showing the same scene painted prior to and following development of cataracts.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Growing old artistically | The Brain Bank
