Van Gogh's Xanthopsia

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

The Night Cafe 1888 Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh was an artistic genius. Although he may well have had psychological troubles, there is no proof that his distinctive use of color, especially those intense yellows, arose from an overdose of any pharmacologically active drugs, such as digitalis.

There has been a mountain of speculation by art historians seeking to explain van Gogh’s extraordinary use of color as proof of a pattern of drug abuse. The most popular hypothesis is that he was given digitalis by Dr. Felix Rey in Arles to treat seizures.

A high-concentration of digitalis used over a period of time can induce xanthopsia, which causes a yellowing of the media of the eye, resulting in yellow vision. Cataracts and jaundice can produce similar effects. However, it is clear that the dosages and effects of digitalis were well-known at that time and the amount required to cause xanthopsia would have been so high that it most likely would have been f…