18 March 2024 , 10:56
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Five of the UK's most famous paintings have been tweaked – to demonstrate how they would look to someone with glaucoma.
Artworks by greats like Thomas Gainsborough and Sandro Botticelli were modified to highlight the effects of the eye condition. Each of these masterpieces, including "The Supper at Emmaus" (1601), by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, are housed in London's National Gallery.
But now, they have been given blurry edges and missing details, showing visitors how they might look to the estimated 700,000 Brits living with glaucoma. Giles Edmonds, clinical services director at Specsavers, which is behind the project, said: "Over two million adults in the UK are at risk of losing their vision due to glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
"Seeing the loss of details in these famous artworks highlights just what an impact this condition can have – not just when viewing beautiful art, but also in your day-to-day life. Having an eye test at least every two years, regardless of age, vision issues, or symptoms, is so important, as this condition is treatable and it is possible to prevent potential sight loss, or even irreversible blindness."
Around 700,000 people in the UK are living with glaucoma - but as many as half of those may be unaware of this (National Gallery/Specsavers)Other priceless artworks that were altered include "Bathers at Asnieres" (1884), by Georges Seurat, and "The Ambassadors" (1533), by Hans Holbein the Younger. Glaucoma is a common eye problem where the optic nerve connecting the eye to the brain gets damaged. It can usually be picked up during a routine eye test. Often called the "silent thief of sight", glaucoma can come without any signs – meaning nearly half of sufferers don't even know they have it.
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Tracy Jones, from the National Gallery, said: "As the National Gallery approaches its 200th birthday in May 2024, we are pleased to partner with Specsavers during World Glaucoma Week, to further show our commitment to welcoming the widest possible audiences to enjoy and engage with great art. This lends a crucial reminder to everyone about the importance of getting regular sight tests, to continue to enjoy not only their favourite artworks, but also to detect early signs of conditions like glaucoma.
"Thankfully, the National Gallery offers a range of accessible facilities to help the public experience the collection, visit exhibitions and come to events. Access for blind and partially sighted visitors includes audio descriptive content of key works in our collection, as well as a series of events entitled "Audio Art: Utterly in the picture". Designed specifically for blind and partially sighted audiences, these events explore paintings on multi-dimensional levels – through words, music, and sounds."