A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.

A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.In 1995 at age 61, William Utermohlen, an American artist living in London, received a devastating diagnosis. He had Alzheimer's. In response to his illness (or perhaps to spite it) he began to paint self-portraits. They became a way for him to try to understand his condition.

Until he was admitted to a nursing home in 2000, Utermohlen painted regular portraits of himself during those first years of his diagnosis. What we see is a man struggling to remain in touch with the world around him. Utermohlen passed away in 2007, but his self portraits have lived on as a way for us to understand the devastation of Alzheimer's.

A self-portrait of William Utermohlen from 1961.
A self-portrait of William Utermohlen from 1961. - A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: Imgur/William Utermohlen

1996
1996 - A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: Imgur/William Utermohlen

1996 - A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: Imgur/William Utermohlen

1997
1997 - A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: Imgur/William Utermohlen

1997 - A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: Imgur/William Utermohlen

1998
1998 - A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: Imgur/William Utermohlen

1999
1999 - A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: Imgur/William Utermohlen

2000
2000 - A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: Imgur/William Utermohlen

All of the portraits together.
All of the portraits together. - A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: Imgur/William Utermohlen

Before his diagnosis, Unterhohlen was a successful artist. He spent all of his time drawing and painting. Here are a few examples of his other work:
A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: William Utermohlen

A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: William Utermohlen

A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: William Utermohlen

A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: William Utermohlen

A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: William Utermohlen

A Man With Alzheimer's Drew Himself For 5 Years. These Photos Are Heartbreaking.
Photo: William Utermohlen

Alzheimer's is a terrible, confusing disease. It steals our loved ones away from us, even before they pass on. What William was able to achieve is both insightful and moving.

Source: New York Times Via Viral Nova

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