Introduction
Art creates a powerful connection between the viewer and the subject it portrays. Although the artist may not be physically present, their creative vision serves as a bridge, linking the audience to the subject through interpretation and emotional resonance. This holds across all forms of art, whether visual, auditory, or performative.
In this section, we explore how engaging with art can deepen clinicians’ understanding of illness and foster empathy in their interactions with patients. We believe clinicians can enhance their communication skills by engaging with various forms of art, which offer powerful insights into human experience and emotion, even when the viewer hasn’t lived those experiences firsthand.
Let’s begin by focusing on how, at times, patients may perceive clinicians. Patients often place deep trust in their healthcare providers—sometimes perceiving them as possessing almost magical healing powers. While this perception may no longer be rooted in beliefs about the supernatural, it reflects the enduring significance of trust in the clinician–patient relationship.
To explore this idea further, we turn to a painting by Kolkata-based artist Sandip Suman Bhattacharya, titled The Magician.
In The Magician, the figure appears confident and in control, evoking trust and wonder through actions that the viewer doesn’t fully understand. Similarly, patients may see doctors as possessing special knowledge or abilities—placing their trust in them, even without understanding every step of care.
In this painting, the magician stands alone on stage, illuminated by a spotlight that separates him from his surroundings. This visual isolation mirrors how clinicians can sometimes be perceived—set apart from context, elevated by their role. The magician’s posture, gazing downward toward the viewer with a slight bend, creates a subtle power dynamic. It invites the viewer to feel exposed or vulnerable, much like a patient might feel in the presence of a clinician. This composition highlights how, often unconsciously, doctors may be imbued with symbolic authority that shapes the emotional landscape of clinical encounters.
The Magician reminds us that it is often an uneven playing field. It teaches us the importance of humility and the need to communicate with every person at their level of understanding. It is also crucial to demystify medicine in our communication, while acknowledging that there are always some things that are unknown at the time of the discussion, which may affect the outcome later.
We invite you to explore any form of art that resonates with you—whether it’s films, music, paintings, photography, poetry, prose, theatre or another medium. Reflect on what it reveals about illness, healing, empathy, or the human condition. If you feel moved to share, we welcome your thoughts. You can write to us, and we’d be delighted to publish your reflections—anonymously or under a pen name, if you prefer.