Letters to editor

Issue 3 - September 2024

A clinical look behind the self-portraits of Antonio Ligabue

Authors

Key words: Neurodevelopment;, Differential diagnosis, autism underdiagnosis
Publication Date: 2024-11-29

Abstract

Art lovers, historians, and mental health professionals have endlessly speculated about what psychiatric disorders famous painters might be diagnosed with today and how their mental dis-tress seems to have influenced their life and career. However, very limited analysis is available about the Italian painter Antonio Ligabue (1899-1965). This “psychological autopsy” has been based on the review of his biography, paintings, exhibitions, and personal scripts. It reconstructed a hypothetical illness trajectory originating from an autism spectrum disorder, possibly exacerbated by comorbid health conditions, social exclusion, poor caregiver support, and stressful life events, culminating in multiple hospitalizations for affective dysregulation and aberrant behavior. The present “cold” case report suggests that Antonio Ligabue’s mental difficulties may need to be looked at under a neurodevelopmental perspective encompassing autism, a condition very much underrecognized during his lifetime.

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Authors

Marco Colizzi - Unit of Psychiatry and Eating Disorders, Department of Medicine (DMED), University of Udine, Udine, Italy; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK

Rosalia Costa - Community Mental Health Team, Friuli Centrale University Health Service (ASUFC), Palmanova, Italy

How to Cite
Colizzi, M., & Costa, R. (2024). A clinical look behind the self-portraits of Antonio Ligabue. Italian Journal of Psychiatry, 10(3). Retrieved from https://www.italianjournalofpsychiatry.it/article/view/584
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