Healing Arts

'Fascinating in itself, it belongs in the history of ideas, and the history of medicine.'
Professor Mary Douglas (Cultural Theorist and Anthropologist)

'Her work is a rich tapestry weaving together elements of medical and psychiatric history, art history, as well as contributing to the history of psychoanalysis and its reception in Britain art therapy emerges as the site where these hugely influential cultural discoursers are knitted together.'
David Lomas (Art Historian)

Susan Hogan's book is informative, well researched and entertaining. As well as providing an authoritative history of art therapy, it covers such diverse topics as the philosophy of art therapy, the way attitudes to insanity have changed, the role of art therapy in the context of post-war rehabilitation and the treatment of tuberculosis patients, Surrealism, and Britain's first therapeutic community. It is an invaluable resource for art therapists, and an interesting, informative read for anyone interested in art history or the history of ideas.