Stendahl's Disease

Interesting. I have been overwhelmed with joy in certain places in Italy, but have never gotten palpitations, etc. from the experience. Hmm, I seem to remember he was overweight...

I've always called my syndrome of finite attention span and aching feet "Cultural Overload". I don't turn manic, just cranky.

Being an English major, I refer to insightful thunderbolts as "epiphanies".

Yikes a fancy name for what I always called museum fatigue. In the past I have always blamed in on the ponderers, you know those folks who have to ponder each piece in each exhibit or gallery for hours and hours. My deal is a quick once through, take a break in the cafe, and then back through to read about my favorites.

In ideal conditions, that is without a huge number of people being herded through in groups...given that one can just wander...I like, first of all, to have not many other people there. Occasionally, none at all would be nice, but mostly I like just...some. I like to reconnoiter, check out the whole place at once fairly fast, then circle back, either room by room, or the entire place, going slower, picking out favorites, zoning in on one or two pieces per room. And then, circling back again, seeing if I meant it, and looking harder at some other work that catches my eye. First attraction not always being the most interesting. I'd like to come back a week later too, but that can rarely happen in my life...

Well Osso then we could do museums together. I do a once through quickly and meander back. And like you sometimes I go back a week or two later to see if what I thought the first time was the same the second time through.

Ok, then, we can meet up if we are in the same city at the same time...

My friend Bonnie and I do the SF MOMA by walking in the door together, going off in entirely different directions, meeting eventually as time goes by and mentioning this or that pic, looking at those few again...and then going to lunch..when we are good and ready.

That is exactly how I like it. I hate to be tied to anyone when I am wondering the galleries. My ex Joe used to use our museum trips as an opportunity to teach Cindy, good for her but way to slow for me. I would charge on ahead and catch up with them later. By that time they usually had a gaggle of people following along with them listening to Joe, it was funny as he never seemed aware of anyone at all he was just sharing his love of art with Cindy.

wow. I always thought I was like, a freak or somthing. Good post.

Hi, portal star, welcome to the art threads!

This term became very popalar in Europe, after the film "Stendhal Syndrom" was released in 1996.
It has been called "Cultural-Overflow" as well.

A good article about this disease is to be found in the 'UNESCO courier':
The pioneers

art
Don't want to be to mundane here, but is not possible that Stendahl (and others in Florence) suffered the physical consequences of looking up too long? Could it not be (IN PART) a postural problem?