Later in life, Edgar Degas suffered from poor vision probably associated with macular degeneration. His brushwork seemed less refined closer to his death in 1917. “Bodies were outlined irregularly, images were marred by strange blotches of color, and there was virtually no detailing of faces or clothing,” Marmor wrote.
To test whether that affected Degas’ work, Marmor used Photoshop to re-create what the artist may have seen.
While the two later paintings (After the Bath, Woman Drying Herself and Woman Drying Herself) look rough in their original form (above), the blurring effect eliminated the coarseness (below).
Claude Monet, who often painted nature and buildings in his paintings, suffered from cataracts as he got older. The eye disorder can disrupt color perception and visual acuity.
The results suggest that both Monet’s and Edgar Degas’ vision corrupted their ability to see colors correctly. The results cast doubt on the standing theory that the artists’ change in style reflected a growing interest in expressionism.
According to Stanford researcher Michael Marmor, Monet’s work began to show a yellowish cast as his cataracts developed. To reveal how Monet saw the world, Marmor darkened images using Photoshop and reduced the levels of blue to replicate a yellowing effect. He also used blurring filters.
These paintings were created about the time of his most severe visual disability. Top left is the Japanese Bridge at Giverny (1918-1924; oil on canvas, 89 100 cm); Muse´e Marmottan, Paris, France/Giraudon/Bridgeman Art Library. Top right represents what Monet would have seen through a disabling nuclear sclerotic cataract with a visual acuity of 20/200. Bottom left is Monet’s Japanese Bridge at Giverny (1918-1924; oil on canvas, 89 100 cm); Muse´e Marmottan, Paris/Giraudon/Bridgeman Art Library. Bottom right is what the painter would have seen through a disabling cataract with a visual acuity of 20/200. The colors are surprisingly consistent in the images on the right despite the marked differences between those on the left.
Top left is Monet’s painting Waterlilies, done when he had moderate cataracts (1915; oil on canvas, 130 153 cm; Muse´e Marmottan, Paris, France/Bridgeman Art Library). Top right is the same image, blurred using Photoshop as it would have appeared to Monet at the time. The bottom image is a detail of the left section Monet’s Morning With Weeping Willows, painted after the cataract was removed (1915-1926; oil on canvas, 200 425 cm; Muse´e de l’Orangerie, Paris/Giraudon/Bridgeman Art Library).
Top left is a photograph of the subject of Monet’s Water Lily Pond as the bridge appears today. Bottom left is the photograph, blurred using Photoshop as it might appear through a moderate nuclear sclerotic cataract.
Top right is the painting (1899; oil on canvas, 89 92 cm; National Gallery, London, England/Bridgeman Art Library), which was created before Monet suffered any visual symptoms. Bottom right is the photograph again seen through a disabling cataract with a visual acuity of 20/200.
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