title: ["The madhouse" by W. Kaulbach and the meaning of the picture interpreted by J.A. Schilling, 1863].
abstract: This article deals with the picture "Das Narrenhaus" (the Madhouse) by W. Kaulbach and its interpretation by the psychiatrist J.A. Schilling, which he gave in his book "Psychiatrische Briefe" (psychiatric letters) in 1863. This picture is often used as a contemporary document for the situation in the treatment of the mentally ill at the beginning of the last century. The article points out doubts in this procedure. The interpretation by Schilling cannot be considered a document for psychiatric records; on the contrary, it is influenced by contemporary romantic medicine and utilises the picture to exemplify the theoretical concept of culpable human offence as the cause for mental illness.
mesh_terms: D001154:Art / Q000266:history*; D005858:Germany; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000266:history*; D010151:Paintings / Q000266:history*; D011573:Psychoanalytic Interpretation
vernacular_title: "Das Narrenhaus" von W. Kaulbach und die Deutung des Bildes durch J.A. Schilling 1863.