Have you ever thought how an artist might feel when she or he has been told they may go blind?
Artists invest more than just time and energy when painting, they also invest part of themselves. You might think that, in a highly visual medium, the artist who loses their sight would give up. But many do not. Many devise simple, yet ingenious ways of changing their style and adapting their whole approach to painting.
People with sight problems may also enjoy seeing paintings and other pictures - we show how people with sight problems 'see' paintings.
'Painting from a new perspective' publication
Painting from a New Perspective is an RNIB publication about painters who have made the decision to overcome these problems. It is also for those who are facing them. It takes the examples of six artists who have differing eye conditions, differing levels of sight (including no sight) and different methods of adapting to their situation.
You can order 'Painting from a New Perspective' from our online shop in clear print or audio cassette tape. Alternatively call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email shop@rnib.org.uk.
We hope that this book will persuade people to continue painting, but we recognise that there can be no substitute for meeting an artist who has been through the process personally. Meet Ian Reynolds, a registered blind artist who offers some suggestions about how blind and partially sighted artists work.
Famous painters with sight loss
A number of very famous painters have continued painting, even with poor or deteriorating sight:
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Claude Monet, 1840-1926, born in Paris, is perhaps the most famous of the school of artists known as the Impressionists. Indeed, the name was coined from his painting, 'Impression, le Soleil Levant'. He is also particularly well-known these days for his series of paintings inspired by the waterlilies in his garden at Giverny. Another famous series of paintings is the 'Cathédrale de Rouen'. Monet suffered from very poor eyesight towards the end of his life.
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Edgar Degas, 1834-1917, was a Parisian painter, sculptor and engraver. He is particularly famous for his paintings of dancers in which he captured their attitudes of both movement and repose. It wasn't only dancers he painted however, he also captured the daily life of people performing simple tasks. Degas suffered from very poor eyesight towards the end of his life.
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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1606-1669, is considered one of the greatest of all artists. Although born in Leiden, he lived in Amsterdam from a young age and there he developed his skills in using colour and handling the effect of light on faces and scenes. Because of the lack of clear documentary evidence, we cannot know for certain if Rembrandt lost his sight, but it is very likely he did.
Further information
For more information about art and artists with disabilities or art education with blind and partially sighted children, see useful links.
Find out about visiting museums and galleries.