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October 31, 2006
When he learned in 1995 that he had Alzheimer's disease, William Utermohlen, an American artist in London, responded in characteristic fashion. He began to try to understand it by painting himself. His self-portraits reveal his descent into dememtia over the span of nearly four decades.
Below, a self-portrait from 1967.
A self-portrait from 1996:
Mr. Utermohlen, 73, is now in a nursing home. He no longer paints.
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I have always been an admirer of people who despite of their disabilities they could still work on something worth appreciating. Having an Alzheimer�s disease is no joke. But I can�t imagine someone who could still paint a self portrait despite of such illness. Self portraits are considered to be one of the most challenging subjects that painters could cater. To be able to paint self portraits despite of such illness is one-of-a-kind.
John