This chapter investigates the mysterious death of Robert, revealing Richard as the prime suspect following the discovery of violent artwork. It chronicles Richard's frantic escape and delusions, portraying him as a man driven by a belief in his divine mission. The narrative raises questions about mental illness and the implications for justice as authorities navigate his actions across borders.
This one is an art episode, but also a murder episode and also a madness episode. Artist Richard Dadd's life story is quite sad, but his art remained consistently good, even at the lowest points in his life.
Research:
- Boyce, Niall. “Ehibition: Richard Dadd—Painting From His Mind’s Eye.” The Lacet. January 22, 2011. https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2811%2960065-2
- “The Cobham Park Murder.” The Examiner. Sept 9, 1843. https://www.newspapers.com/image/388277729/?match=1&terms=richard%20dadd
- Dadd, Richard. “Halt in the Desert.” British Museum. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1987-0411-9#object-detail-data
- Dadd, Richard. “The Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke.” Tate Museum. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/dadd-the-fairy-fellers-master-stroke-t00598
- Hall, Samuel Carter. “The Book of British Ballads.” J. How. 1842. Accessed online: https://books.google.com/books?id=Tm8sFMykgdgC&source=gbs_navlinks_s
- Hare, Edward. “Creativity And Mental Illness.” British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Edition), vol. 295, no. 6613, 1987, pp. 1587–89. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/29529224
- Huddleston, S., & Russell, G. A. (2015). Richard Dadd: The Patient, the Artist, and the “Face of Madness.” Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, 24(3), 213–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/0964704X.2013.849077
- Kerley, P “Richard Dadd: The art of a 'criminal lunatic' murderer.” BBC News Magazine. Nov. 13, 2015. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34722937
- Lippincott, Louise. “Murder and the Fine Arts; Or, a Reassessment of Richard Dadd.” The J. Paul Getty Museum Journal, vol. 16, 1988, pp. 75–94. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4166579
- Munn, Geoffrey. “New Light on Dadd: George Bailey (1821–1898)by Richard Dadd (1817–86).” The British Art Journal, vol. 24, no. 2, 2023, pp. 75–76. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48760525
- “The Murder of Mr. Dadd – Apprehension of Richard Dadd.” Chester Chronicle, and Chester and North Wales General Advertiser. Sept. 15, 1843. https://www.newspapers.com/image/793241104/?match=1&terms=richard%20dadd
- “The Parricide at Cobham Park.” Essex, Herts and Kent Mercury. Sept 19, 1843. https://www.newspapers.com/image/933363283/?match=1&terms=richard%20dadd
- “Richard Dadd.” Getty Museum. https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/person/103JS7
- “Richard Dadd painting to return to Bethlem Hospital after 170 years.” BBC. January 6, 2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-64155941
- “The ‘Satanic’ in Newspaper Literature.” Leicester Chronicle. Sept. 16, 1843. https://www.newspapers.com/image/816920892/?match=1&terms=richard%20dadd
- Seifert, Ruth, et al. “Mad, Bad or Sad? Prison and Psychiatric Illness.” RSA Journal, vol. 147, no. 5490, 1999, pp. 112–21. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41378810
- "’Sketch of an Idea for Crazy Jane’ by Richard Dadd.” Bethlem Museum of the Mind. https://museumofthemind.org.uk/blog/sketch-of-an-idea-for-crazy-jane-by-richard-dadd
- “Top 20 finds on the Antiques Roadshow.” BBC. Sept. 19, 2017. https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/antiques-roadshow-40/valuable
- Tromans, Nicholas. “Richard Dadd: the Artist and the Asylum,” D.A.P./Tate. 2011.
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