Eugène Gabritschevsky
Encyclopedia
Eugène Gabritschevsky was a Russia
n biologist
and artist
. He was born into a comfortable family of scientists from Imperial Russia. His father was a renowned bacteriologist, and worked with Louis Pasteur
in France
and with Robert Koch
in Germany
.
Gabritschevsky studied biology at the University of Moscow from 1913, specialising in problems related to heredity
. He finished his studies successfully and went into research. In 1924, he was invited to the United States
, where he continued his work for two years, and in 1926, he settled in Paris
, where he continued his research at the Pasteur Institute
. By the age of thirty-three, he was well known in his field, and was world renowned for his knowledge on the laws of mutation
in the lives of insects.
In 1929, his research came to an abrupt end when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia
and hospitalised in a mental institution near Munich
.
In the ensuing thirty years, Gabritschevsky created an extraordinary body of art: thousands of paintings and drawings. His first works look quite academic and are inspired by corals or human figures. As his condition worsened, however, his subjects gradually changed. He started painting ghost-looking silhouettes, large-headed monsters with huge eyes, and then later small beings that look like mutants.
He died in the same Munich hospital on April 5, 1979.
His artistic output continues to have appeal, however, and his paintings have appeared on record sleeves of the Scottish folk band Appendix Out and the American band Mob Trio. In addition, his scientific papers are still held in high esteem, and are often cited.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n biologist
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
and artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. He was born into a comfortable family of scientists from Imperial Russia. His father was a renowned bacteriologist, and worked with Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist born in Dole. He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases. His discoveries reduced mortality from puerperal fever, and he created the first vaccine for rabies and anthrax. His experiments...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and with Robert Koch
Robert Koch
Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch was a German physician. He became famous for isolating Bacillus anthracis , the Tuberculosis bacillus and the Vibrio cholerae and for his development of Koch's postulates....
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Gabritschevsky studied biology at the University of Moscow from 1913, specialising in problems related to heredity
Heredity
Heredity is the passing of traits to offspring . This is the process by which an offspring cell or organism acquires or becomes predisposed to the characteristics of its parent cell or organism. Through heredity, variations exhibited by individuals can accumulate and cause some species to evolve...
. He finished his studies successfully and went into research. In 1924, he was invited to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he continued his work for two years, and in 1926, he settled in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he continued his research at the Pasteur Institute
Pasteur Institute
The Pasteur Institute is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who made some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine at the time, including pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax...
. By the age of thirty-three, he was well known in his field, and was world renowned for his knowledge on the laws of mutation
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
in the lives of insects.
In 1929, his research came to an abrupt end when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
and hospitalised in a mental institution near Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
In the ensuing thirty years, Gabritschevsky created an extraordinary body of art: thousands of paintings and drawings. His first works look quite academic and are inspired by corals or human figures. As his condition worsened, however, his subjects gradually changed. He started painting ghost-looking silhouettes, large-headed monsters with huge eyes, and then later small beings that look like mutants.
He died in the same Munich hospital on April 5, 1979.
His artistic output continues to have appeal, however, and his paintings have appeared on record sleeves of the Scottish folk band Appendix Out and the American band Mob Trio. In addition, his scientific papers are still held in high esteem, and are often cited.