Disability and Wellbeing Throughout Art History

Disability and Wellbeing Throughout Art History

Art is a metaphor for experience, and disability, is inherently linked to wellbeing through its depiction and interpretation. Both disabled and able-bodied viewers have emotional reactions to art portraying disability, be it mental illness or physical impairment.

Historically, art has treated disability as impairments or as something broken that needed to be fixed or saved. This exhibition explores the visual language of these depictions, particularly the emotional impact behind the themes of segregation, marginalisation, dehumanisation, and misunderstanding. Art of the past often portrayed disability in an ableist manner, referring to subjects with disabilities as damned, sick, or victims of impairment.

Studying art history from a modern perspective challenges these views, allowing for a reevaluation of normative culture. By shining light on disabled subjects and artists, we can reshape views on the body and wellbeing in art. Depicting disability in any form promotes inclusivity and empowerment, enabling historians to better understand historical approaches to disability and reconsider contemporary perspectives. This exhibition examines the language used in writing and thinking about disability in art, reflecting on how artists influence and create ideas, particularly in light of changing perspectives over time.

University of St Andrews's Summer Teams Enterprise Programme 2024 Art & Wellbeing Team

This work was supported by the Summer Teams Enterprise Programme organisation and the Phenomenal Bodies project.