Creativity in aging artists: Contributions from the humanities to the psychology of old age

Abstract

: The predominant psychological view of creativity over the life course is that it declines. However, discussions in the humanities, and in particular art history, paint a different picture. Long‐lived artists of historical fame show a variety of different creative outcomes. One of the most interesting is the late‐life (or old‐age) style where there is an abrupt shift in creative expression. The late‐life style is extensively reviewed not only for its relevance to the study of creativity, and its bearing on cognitive development and aging in general, but also because the phenomenon has barely been recognized by psychologists. The late‐life style has been neglected because of a lack of consensus over several key issues, including the identification of artists whose style has changed in old age and the description of its defining characteristics. Empirical research can help clarify these and other questions about the late‐life style. Several studies are summarized in this article. It is maintained that a meaningful exchange between the arts, humanities, and science, as illustrated by the study of the late‐life style, contributes to the interests of each field.

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