The idea that sadness somehow kindles creativity is a popular and long-lasting one. Its roots go back to antiquity; even Aristotle noted that those who excelled in the arts, politics and philosophy had a tendency toward "melancholia". The artistic canon appears to be full of people whose dark mental states kindled their brilliance but also brought their lives to an early end - such as van Gogh, Rothko, Hemingway and Woolf.
This notion is widespread, but in science it remains controversial. Research has not really demonstrated a direct link between sadness and many of the most lasting achievements in art history.
Now, a fascinating new study from an economist at the University of Southern Denmark appears to show that link.
Karol Jan Borowiecki examined the emotional state of three of the West's most influential composers through the full course of their lives. Using linguistic analysis software that scanned the text for positive and negative emotions, such as joy, love, grief and hurt, he analysed 1400 letters written by Mozart, Beethoven and Liszt to their friends, colleagues and loved ones. He then compared that data with the compositions they produced in a given time period, looking in particular at their most influential and transformative works.
What he found appears to bear out popular ideas about creativity and melancholy: a link between periods of negative emotions, especially sadness, and artistic brilliance.