ABSTRACT
Agnes Richter's jacket has only rarely been displayed to the public, but its mysterious text has long fascinated art historians. In the decorative arts of ancient Persia, inscriptions, often poems, were written in a style of playful invention. In Islamic countries in the seventh century, prayers and quotations from the Koran were embroidered directly into the decorative patterns of ceremonial robes. Hans Prinzhorn had a special interest in creativity and madness and, although he never practiced medicine, he did train as a psychiatrist. According to the biological model of mental illness, talking to seriously disturbed people about their feelings or experiences is counterproductive, conveying a false impression that symptoms mean something. Relationships between psychiatrists and their patients have always been unusually complex. Contemporary psychiatrists tend to treat patients as lists of symptoms, each of which can be managed with a different medication. Most psychiatrists in America see patients—even those with the most serious diagnoses—only when they need a prescription.
