The Artist's Eyes

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Monet’s Glasses
The two different lenses in the glasses were to compensate for a cataract that had been earlier removed (the thicker right lens). The thinner and hazy left lens blurred images so that they would not interfere with the vision of the right eye after the surgery.*

After a minor vision scare, we are reminded of the fragility of the eye - these complex organs that allow us to experience all the visual beauties of the world. And, we are reminded once again never to take our precious vision for granted. But, like the rest of the body, the eye ages with time. If we remain free of injury or disease, our eyes may only experience slight changes as we age, but even these small changes may affect our abilities as artists to judge subtleties of color, light and dark.

Drs. Michael Marmor and James Rabin write about the aging eye of the artist in their book, The Artist’s Eyes, originally published in 2009. Their extensive credentials …