Sleep
Beth Rooney, Katie Tan, Max Goldstone
This painting is about the role of doctors in the NHS and the need to support mental health. The man in the middle is a doctor working under the strain of the NHS whereas the two men either side of him represent his patients and are a weight on the doctor’s shoulders. However, they are all human hence they are lying down together in vulnerable positions.
The doctor is stressed and this can be read in his facial expression. A mixture of acrylic paint and watercolour was used for this painting as we felt this combination allowed for the image to include harsh strokes of colour, whilst also having areas of lightness.
The doctor is stressed and this can be read in his facial expression. A mixture of acrylic paint and watercolour was used for this painting as we felt this combination allowed for the image to include harsh strokes of colour, whilst also having areas of lightness.
I like this artwork as it shows both the doctor and the patients as the same, vulnerable people. Despite the doctor being at the forefront of the picture- everyone is equal to the viewer. This highlights that although the doctor may often be held on a pedestal by the patient they are human too, and can experience emotional turmoil like anybody else. The mental burden of being a doctor is very clear, with the literal carrying around of the other patients’ thoughts, feelings and emotions within their heads. I believe the mental health of doctors and medical students needs to be discussed more, and this painting is a good starting point.
This piece is really powerful to me; I think that mental health, especially within doctors and other caregivers, is a topic that does not receive enough attention. The image of the two patients weighing down on the doctor is extremely emotive and perfectly represents the strain doctors feel from their work.
I also like that the doctor is humanised and put on the same plane as the patients, reminding us that doctors are people who can grow sick too, and are not always immune to taking on the emotions and suffering of their patients.
The image is beautifully painted and composed as well.
I like this artwork as it demonstrates the vulnerable position that patients are in when sharing their stories with doctors and when suffering from disease; however, it also extends this to the vulnerability of the doctor. How doctors are also humans who can suffer from the same diseases as their patients but also how their mental health can be damaged by the strain of their role and holding other emotions and struggles. The weight of the two patients on the doctors shoulders demonstrates beautifully the weight of responsibility that can be overwhelming.
All three people in the painting are drawn on the same level, emphasising that doctors are humans too and we need to focus on taking care of each other and ourselves.
I was immediately drawn to this painting because it really made me think about the impact patients have on doctors, instead of the impact doctors have on patients, like we tend to consider. This painting gives me the sense that the doctor can’t get away from thinking about his patients no matter how hard he tries. In the painting the doctor is sleeping but his patients are sleeping on his shoulders which gives the impression that the doctor is weighed down by thoughts of his patients, even when he’s sleeping. This emphasizes the responsibility doctors have and the burden doctors carry daily as they care for their patients and want to do the best for them at all times. The painting also puts doctors on the same level as his patients which perfectly demonstrates the way that doctors are humans just like patients and at the end of the day they struggle and suffer at times too. I think the painting captures both the benefits and disadvantages of being a doctor in one image- the benefits being the close relationships doctors build with their patients and the power they have to change lives and the disadvantages being the responsibility, burden and strain they carry.
This artwork intrigued me as it puts into perspective the realities of being a doctor and the mental impact it can have. Also this painting highlights the weight that doctors carry both in their professional and personal lives and how the two are inevitably intertwined, shown by the physical positions of the doctor and patient. I also like how the doctor and patient are shown to be on the same level, this suggests that doctors can also become unwell and are not immune to it simply because of their title as doctor.
I love this piece, it reflects on an understated piece of being a doctor. My parents are GPs, and seeing the impact of patients on them at home, the conversations over dinner to reassure someone did the right thing, making phone calls for them on your days off, staying in late and going in early just to provide healthcare. I remember there was a missed infection in someone young with learning difficulties, and a second problem that was the most common reason to miss it. They were hospitalised and despite reassurance from the family, the others GPs at work and at home, one of my parents barely slept for a week, worried sick until the patient came out of hospital fine, despite having done everything right in their professional role. It was an immense weight to carry and puts into practise everything that this painting is about.
I love this piece of art as it hammers home the point that it is truly difficult to switch off after work. I also love that all three people are portrayed the same to show how doctors can see so much of themselves and their family in their patients which can cause a stronger emotional link to the patients – only making them more attached to each case. I think this picture is super=important for reminding everyone that doctor’s mental health is super-important and this needs to be looked after at all costs.
This piece really resonates with me as it displays the impact of patients and their own suffering on the wellbeing of doctors.
Can a doctor ever really brush off the events of their day so that they can get a good night’s sleep? A quality that is instilled in medical students, doctors, and people and general is empathy. But if this is a value that is emphasised so much in our lives, how are doctors ever able to compartmentalise their work from their personal lives, their sleeping lives? The turmoils and plights of their patients forever weigh on them, making it impossible for doctors to be well rested.
Additionally, we can see that the patients are not only on the doctor’s shoulders, but the doctor also rests on each of the patients’ shoulders. There is some dualism here, demonstrating how the patients rely on their doctor for guidance and support, and also how there is a level of dependence of the doctor on the patients. In the same way that the suffering of patients can be felt to some extent by their doctor, happiness and relief can also be felt … which is what, arguably, makes a doctor’s job worthwhile.
I love this piece of art, as it addresses a theme that isn’t spoken about enough in medicine- the mental strain that doctors go through when caring for patients and how difficult it is for a doctor to remove themself from this stress when they aren’t working. I also love how it depicts both the patients and the doctor lying down together exemplifying the ideology that no matter the profession ‘we are all human’. I think this is really important as it shows that it isn’t just patients who suffer, doctors can still go through sickness and trials, which is something that patients don’t always consider.
The presence of a doctor near sleeping patients symbolises care, protection, and the healing process. It conveys a sense of trust in the medical profession and the idea that healthcare professionals are guardians during vulnerable moments of rest. The image evokes reflections on the doctor-patient relationship. It represents a connection built on trust, empathy, and the idea that the doctor is actively involved in the well-being of their patients. Ti also shows us how doctors can sometimes take a step back from the medical world and be human and stress-free, something doctors do not do enough as at the end of the day ‘we are all human’.
This piece stood out to me because at first glance it is hard to tell which person represents the doctor. They are not wearing clothes or carrying medical equipment and this highlights how doctors are humans just like their patients and the only thing separating them is their choice of profession. People can often be reduced to their career but this painting emphasises how everyone has struggles and similar experiences. This is not to say that everyone has equal struggles and the painting demonstrates how doctors are challenged with the unique responsibility of peoples’ health and wellbeing, sometimes dealing with life and death. This can be seen in the doctor’s troubled expression and bearing the weight of the patients on his shoulders.
This piece of artwork is not only stunningly beautiful but also so strong and powerful at the same time. The thought that has gone into every aspect of the painting is inspiring with them all being on the same level to represent they are all human. The positioning is very effective as the doctor is facing one way and the multiple patients facing the other way, which suggests the idea that there are multiple patients to every doctor that they are continuously thinking about. The way they are lying accurately shows that this should be a place where the doctor should be resting however the patients are on his mind, so are constantly with him even when trying to rest. Which shows the commitment doctors have to their patients and how mentally and physically draining the job can be. Overall it is a delicate and elegant piece of work with such a high powered and important message.
This art piece explores what I feel is one of the hardest aspects or being a doctor. Fulfilling this caring role effectively requires emotional investment that is a heavy burden to just leave at the door when work stops. The representation of patient and doctor in an equal and vulnerable position emphasises the mental strain placed on each. This combined with sleep, an integral part of mental health, allows the importance of this idea to be conveyed. The piece itself is an incredible use of the art medium to explore this concept and highlights its importance to the medical vocation.