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Ref NoDGH1/7/3/1
TitleArt in Madness - Early Patient Artwork
Description134 art works, mostly by artist-patients resident at Crichton Royal Institution and some by patients from other hospitals; and a manuscript list found with the artwork. There are nineteen identified male and five identified female artist-patients in the collection and 45 works by unknown artist-patients. The main themes displayed in the artwork are townscapes and landscapes, portraits, natural history studies, religious scenes and views of Crichton Royal Institution and other asylums.

The works are arranged alphabetically by patient surname, followed by the works of unknown artist-patients. The artist-patients have been identified through research carried out by Dr Maureen Park of the University of Glasgow and former Health Board Archivist, Morag Williams. Dr Maureen Park has also identified the origin of many of the images as copies of prints and engravings featured in published volumes. Where an attribution has been made but not confirmed in relation to work by unknown artist-patients, this has been noted in the scope and content. In some cases the artist-patient has painted or drawn on both sides of paper and in these instances both images are described together as one item. The information given for each art work, which includes medium, size (in centimetres), and a record of any inscriptions, has been taken from information collated by Dr Maureen Park.

All images are mounted on card except DGH1/7/3/1/37, DGH1/7/3/1/68 and DGH1/7/3/1/69, due to their size. The remounting of the collection took place in 1989. All images are from the single volume of artwork discovered in 1983, '1886 Art in Madness by Dr W. A. F. Browne', except Richard Charteris - Playbill for Crichton Royal Institution Theatre, DGH1/7/1/36, which was removed from Recreation and Printing Scrapbook, DGH1/6/17/2 and added to the collection by Morag Williams.
Date1843-c.1867
Related MaterialCase Books, DGH1/5/21; Annon. (W. A. F. Browne) - Mad Artists, DGH1/6/18/28; C. R. I. Scrapbook, DGH1/6/17/1; Recreation and Printing Scrapbook, DGH1/6/17/2. D. Fergusson - Pen and Ink Sketches, Db15(828)f, held at Ewart Library, Dumfries.
FormatPainting/Drawing

Show related Persons records.

Persons
CodePersonNameDates
DS/UK/129Browne; William Alexander Francis (1805-1885); medical practitioner1805-1885
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