Neurology and surrealism: André Breton and Joseph Babinski

Abstract

Before he became the initiator of the surrealist movement, André Breton (1896-1966) studied medicine and worked as a student in several hospitals and as a stretcher bearer at the front during World War I. There he became interested in psychiatric diseases such as hysteria and psychosis, which later served as a source of inspiration for his surrealist writings and thoughts, in particular on automatic writing. Breton worked under Joseph Babinski at La Pitié, nearby La Salpêtrière, and became impressed by the 'sacred fever' of the famous neurologist. In this article, we describe the relationship between Breton and Babinski and try to trace back whether not only Breton's psychiatric, but also his neurological experiences, have influenced surrealism. We hypothesize that Breton left medicine in 1920 partly as a consequence of his stay with Babinski. © 2012 The Author.