Unit 13 Artist Profile-Tony Robert-Fleury

Tony Robert-Fleury. (1 September, 1837 – 8th December, 1911).A French painter, Fleury known predominantly for his historical scenery based works.

The topic for the composition below, is the "release" of the insane from their chains-a frequent practice in the 18th century was to control the members of society, that were deemed "insane". Patients were treated not as humans who needed help, but as rabid, savage creatures who needed to be chained to walls, restrained/controlled 24/7-violently-using both chemical and physical- and left to squander in dark, cold, damp cells, on beds of dirty, flea infested straw. Deemed never fit to see the light of day, or the rest of rational European civilization again.

Addional there is vital importance, in noting how Fleury's painting depicts the gender bias and feminizing of psychiatric illness. Look at how none of the inmates being released, are men. They're all women. Which implies that women, not only are automatically susceptible to psychiatric illness, but that to psychiatrically ill, is the affliction of the weak and effeminate.

The women in the image that aren't ill, are hidden away in the background of the painting, submissive and meek. The utopian 18th century lady-is retrained and refined, they express feelings of horror and sympathy for their sexual counter parts, who lie sprawling on the ground and grovelling at the knees of their liberators. Unkempt, savage behaving and feral-the furthest thing from a lady of the time.

And the men? Fleury has represented them as being rational, sensible members of society-strong and robust in both mind and body-they don't suffer from the predictability of being weak-both physically and mentally-and are able to control all aspects of themselves.

The work below was selected as a form of social commentary/interpretation by the artist, and was produced in a very literal format-no abstraction here(!) The piece is a very striking scene, with many figures are all displaying a spectrum of both emotional  and bodily exhibitions. Perhaps Fleury's reasons, for treating the subject matter, of freeing the madman, in a literals sense, is that his intentions, were to have a direct message to the onlooker. When one looks at the work, you are essentially obtaining a 141 year old perspective into the liberation of the mad. A window into how the mad were represented society, and interpreted by the artist.

In other works by Fleury, he hasn't produced works that explode the liberation of the mad as such, but rather, he has depicted scenes that display a subjects of a smile field. In the piece below are profound elements of, chaos, collapse, hysteria, destruction and instability-both socially and personally. Other artist have also depicted scenes that emanate the above elements. One such artist is Benjamin West, in his 1770, Oil on Canvas, Death of General Wolfe.

The arrangement of the painting has been divided into liberators and onlookers- the left hand side ordered and busy-a tangle of liberators and terrified onlookers and the right-a disperse of near dumbfounded patients. The arrangement of the painting has aptly suited the contrasting arrangement of the subjects within. The conflict between the subject means that the painting as a whole is unified, the external conflicts between parties, results in dramatic scene in which captures audiences even today.

In order to produce this painting, Fleury would've used oil paints, cleaning oil, rags, oil painting brushes. The scenario or setting , that I am inferring, in which this piece was produced in, was from a window or sidewalk that very close to incident(s) occurring within the piece. A front row seat, for yet another act, of the performance that is psychiatry, and the 200 year or so battle society, has had-in terms of patients, approaches and attitudes. Painting this piece is a setting as described above, resulted in Fleury being able to capture the conflict, in format that would act as a glimpse to the past, a perspective of the present and as a forewarning to future onlookers.

To produce this piece, Fleury would've-presumably had to go an observe the incident as it happened-and the incident presumably would've been a monuments occasion. One obtains an impression that Fleury discovered were and when such a incident was occurring-as these things, often were a opportunity for the public to gawk and gander, to stare and shake heads. From the look of the image-one implies that work could've taken months or even years. (Considering the size and scale, the details hidden away)

When overserving this piece, one obtains the impression of a scene which resonates with imagery of both social and personal lunacy-and an aura of irony echoes through this piece. These patients are transgressing from chemical docility, to being socially controlled. Manipulated into the "ideal 18th century lady" mould.

Perhaps it is the facial expressions, of some of the released inmates, that reflect in my own internally regressed reactions to being in a situation that triggers my own psychiatric troubles. The way these woman are facially expressing themselves, echoes in how I am responding under the many masks of refinement, which I sew on-the moment I wake up.

Never revealing my true self-the image everyone else observers is not my own image, but a reflective façade. Society shall glimpse, what element's of myself, that I fully consent to them viewing-and nothing more. That element of control is like a corset- every aspect of my identity is contained, restrained, and controlled to a degree, in which conforms to my level of social acceptance.

My feelings about this painting are like a scar-a constant, painful and permanent reminder, that echoes in my own sufferings. This painting could exhibit emotions/phobias of, anxiety, mercy, terror, liberation, society, entrapment, chaos, collapse, hysteria, freedom, destruction and instability. This is a painting that is not quiet and content, but frantic and conflicting.

Toby Robert Fleury, Pinel Freeing The Insane From Their Chains, 1876, Unknown Media