This interdisciplinary volume explores the relationships between depression, spirituality and artistic creativity in modern art. Edited by psychiatrist Joseph J. Schildkraut and physician Aurora Otero, it grew out of a symposium held in Barcelona in May 1993 on mood disorders and spirituality in twentieth-century artists. The book brings together contributions examining the psychological dimensions of artistic creation, the role of spiritual experience in modern art and the ways in which emotional suffering can be transformed into visual expression. A central section is devoted to Joan Miró, whose imagery, personal experience and artistic development are considered in relation to melancholy, inner conflict, spiritual aspiration and creative freedom. The volume also discusses other modern artists, including members of the New York School of Abstract Expressionism. Essays address the complex relationship between mental illness and artistic achievement without reducing works of art to clinical symptoms. Illustrated with reproductions of modern paintings, the book combines art-historical interpretation with perspectives from psychiatry and psychology. Joseph J. Schildkraut (1934-2006) was an American psychiatrist and researcher known for his work in biological psychiatry and psychopharmacology. His later interests included the connections between artistic creativity, mood disorders and spirituality. Aurora Otero collaborated with him in developing the symposium and publication on which this volume is based. (AI-generated content description)