Mental Illness and Art: the surreal paintings of August Natterer
(Credit: August Natterer / Wikimedia)
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Mental Illness and Art: the surreal paintings of August Natterer

Jean Dubuffet coined the term ‘art brut’ in 1948 to describe “works created from solitude and from pure and authentic creative impulses – where the worries of competition, acclaim and social promotion do not interfere”. He examined artworks made by people such as psychiatric patients grappling with severe mental illnesses, often creating art inspired by hallucinations or delusions. 

Hans Prinzhorn’s groundbreaking 1922 study, Artistry of the Mentally Ill, brought together works by people he called “schizophrenic masters”. These creatives are now referred to as ‘outsider artists’, with people such as August Klotz, Karl Brendel, Peter Meyer and August Natterer featuring as part of his study. Rather than look at these pieces of art as mere reflections of their mental conditions, Prinzhorn sought to highlight their creative merit.

This article will take a closer look at the work of Natterer, also known as Neter, whose beautifully unique and surreal paintings were born from an intense hallucination in which he believed he witnessed The Last Judgment. Born in 1868, Natterer lived a happy life with his wife as an electrician, sometimes working at the University of Wuerzburg.

However, after his deteriorating mental health resulted in the hallucination on April 1st, 1907, Natterer’s life was completely altered. He became obsessed with the idea of the world’s end, manifested in his striking hallucinations, which he subsequently brought to life on canvas. 

He explained: “I saw a white spot in the clouds absolutely close – all the clouds paused – then the white spot departed and stood all the time like a board in the sky. On the same board or the screen or stage, now images as quick as a flash followed each other, about 10,000 in half an hour. God himself occurred, the witch, who created the world – in between worldly visions: images of war, continents, memorials, castles, beautiful castles, just the glory of the world – but all of this to see in supernal images.”

Natterer added: “They were at least twenty metres big, clear to observe, almost without colour like photographs… The images were epiphanies of the Last Judgment. Christ couldn’t fulfil the salvation because he was crucified early… God revealed them to me to accomplish the salvation”.

Natterer was diagnosed with schizophrenia after attempting suicide, which resulted in his stays at several psychiatric institutions before he died in 1933. Unsurprisingly, one of the best words you can use to describe Natterer’s paintings is “hallucinogenic”, with the artist using surreal imagery and uncanny figures. In some pieces, humans appear to possess animalistic qualities or the shape of a face blends into a landscape like an optical illusion. 

As part of his vision, Natterer came to believe he was the illegitimate son of Napolean Bonaparte. In another instance, he was convinced that his painting Axle of the World, with Rabbit, predicted World War One. Natterer’s paintings came directly from his mind, with little outside influence affecting the work he produced. The result is a rich world of images which, although bearing an undoubtedly unsettling aura, are incredibly fascinating and intricate.

Moreover, Max Ernst, a pioneer of Surrealism, was significantly influenced by Natterer’s style, which is most apparent in his painting, Oedipus Rex. Although Natterer was never trained in art, his unique visions allowed him to express vivid imagery that influenced a generation of artists after him, desperate to recreate what he saw due to a life-changing mental illness.

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