In memory of Richard Dadd: ten of his best, and thoughts about his life and work. Would we have been any better towards him even now?
Bethlem
In 1864, he was transferred to the newly-built Broadmoor Asylum. Despite that disruption, he continued to paint.
In which Dadd becomes a nineteenth-century Bosch on some seriously psychotropic drugs. It is a masterpiece like no other.
A couple of watercolours give some insight into those around him, and pose a perplexing puzzle. He ended the 1850s with another masterpiece based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
He painted a series of narratives drawn from the Bible and other sources, and 32 watercolours of ‘Passions’ over this period.
An extended tour of the Middle East proves exhausting, but results in two outstanding paintings. Then Dadd’s world falls apart.
The Eclectic Light Company 