Does ‘Great’ Art Require Tragedy?

Welcome to the 197th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we contemplate tragedy’s placement in the creative field, understanding why loss sparks remarkable feats of artistry and the correlation between sadness and expression.

In recent history, we’ve become all too familiar with the tale of a ‘tortured artist’. From Vincent Van Gough to Alexander McQueen, the price of an esteemed career can loom as a depressing and sombre fee. As seen in thousands of works, tragedy through death, failure and despair has backed the firey passion of so many, sacrificing the creator in light of the audience. But why does this association exist, and why is it so prevalent in all avenues of fine art?

Many great artists are often plagued with looming and unspoken emotions, desperately searching for expressive mediums. Out of fear of social recoil, their traumas are spoken only through second-hand identities like songs, paintings, or design, being attractive as a dissociative outlet for the darkest thoughts and feelings. By somewhat removing the artist from the art, creatives are typically more willing to share their harshest qualities in a performative setting, giving way to why art is deeply correlated with tragedy.

While that may explain why those suffering are attracted to the artistic world, it still leaves us to question their calibre for unprecedented creation. Plagued with mental shackles, many great, burdened artists are ultimately a product of endured experiences. Allowing for intense reliability, their suffering pushes them to write and perform as passionately as they do, creating in a highly connective, yet unique and raw way.

This double-edged sword can be accounted as the reason why depressed artists somewhat dominate the artistic field, as well as why so many die young. Battling with mental illness is certainly not required for great art by any means, but it retains notable prominence in contemporary culture. As spoken by Norewigan painter Edvard Munch, “Without fear and illness, I could never have accomplished all I have.”