Cover picture

Halt in the Desert� (c. 1845). Richard Dadd (1817-1886)

Dadd was a successful painter who developed a psychotic illness and committed patricide believing his father to be

the devil. He subsequently spent the rest of his life in the Bethlem and Broadmoor asylums, where he continued to paint. His work, most famously the intricately detailed fantasy The Fairyfeller's Master-Stroke, features frequently in textbooks and writing on what is known as outsider art.

This watercolour is possibly one of his first paintings after being committed and conveys something very different from his later work. A desert camp at night, Bedouin sit around a fire with resting horses nearby. Inspired by sketches from his preceding expedition in the Orient, it appears to be a romantic and tranquil scene of travel in the Victorian era. However, Bedouin tend to these fires not just for warmth but also out of vigilance and fear of the wild animals that may draw near after dark. One wonders therefore if this painting may be a metaphor for recovery from a first episode of psychosis and the attending fear of when it may strike next.

We are always looking for interesting and visually appealing images for the cover of the Journal and would welcome suggestions or pictures, which should be sent to Professor Robert Howard, British Journal of Psychiatry, 17 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PG, UK or robert.howard@iop.kcl.ac.uk