Art holds its many mysteries. Where does the creative drive come from? Why do we sing, make music, paint? But nothing is as mysterious as the people who actually create art. Usually, it is one profound and iconic work of art that sums up an artist’s entire oeuvre. People pour over these masterpieces like they hold the meaning to some encrypted code – maybe even the mystery of life. But what if there is a simpler explanation behind these creations? If such a large population sufferers from obstructive sleep apnea, would it be such a stretch to say that this equally mysterious and evolutionary sleep disorder had something to do with these following seven master works of art?
The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci
Painter, inventor, writer, mathematician, geologist, cartographer, sculptor – Leonardo da Vinci was the James Franco of his day; the ultimate multi-hyphenated polymath. His most famous work is called the Mona Lisa. It is the most visited and viewed painting in the world – it is also the most mysterious. The most enigmatic part of this masterpiece is Mona Lisa’s smile or smirk or whatever the expression is – nobody quite knows. One strange theory is that the painting is actually a self-portrait of the artist himself. So, could it be that the smile is really the deranged grin of someone suffering from sleep apnea? If that is the case – and CPAP were a thing back then – Leonardo Di Vinci probably would have chosen the Mirage FX for Her Mask System, mostly because Di Vinci was a master of good construction and design. This mask comes with four simple parts that are easy to assemble and disassemble – plus it has lots of advanced features, like the Diffused Vent Design that makes it whisper quiet and comfortable to wear.
The Scream by Edvard Munch
The stern Norwegian symbolist painter Edvard Munch (pronounced Moonch) was a really serious dude – he was also completely insane. Prone to drinking excessively and getting in fights with complete strangers, Munch’s most famous work of art was The Scream. What does The Scream and sleep apnea have in common? According to Munch, the idea for the masterpiece came to him when he was walking around Oslo in a fatigued daze (sound familiar?) – he was completely out of it – and suddenly he saw the blood-red sunset and that famous screaming face. Could it be, though, that the figure’s expression is that of someone not getting enough sleep as a result obstructive sleep apnea? – It sure seems like it. If CPAP were a thing back then, Munch would probably choose the Amara Gel Mask System, because this mask is comfortable and simple enough for even the most sensitive and tortured souls – it is actually 20% lighter and has 60% fewer parts than other leading masks.
The Birth of Venus by Sandro Boticelli
He was the son of a tanner (not a fake tanner) and he was supposed to become a goldsmith – that is pretty much all scholars know about the early life of the Early Renaissance painter Sandro Boticelli. All we have are his masterworks, which have been featured on more than a few coffee shop walls and Italian restaurant menus. His most famous painting is called The Birth of Venus, which features, well, Venus in a rather precarious situation: naked and surrounded by a bunch of gawking people. These gawking people happen to be the wind gods, who literally blew Venus – the goddess of love – in a shell across the water where a nymph is waiting to put a cloak around her. The painting is supposed to be a divine depiction of the birth of love. But Venus’ expression tells a totally different story. Perhaps the painting is a prophecy of what it’s like to be in a sleep lab getting tested for sleep apnea – the wind gods are doctors and the nymph is a nurse waiting to put a gown on you. Could it be? Maybe Venus’ expression would have been different if she could stay at home – the planet Venus – and take the Easy Sleep Apnea Test from Easy Breathe, which is a lot more comfortable, convenient and may offer more accurate results than a sleep lab.
American Gothic by Grant Wood
The American Midwest never looked as beautiful, spooky and haunting as they do in Grant Wood’s iconic paintings. With just a pair of overalls and his round-rimmed glasses, Wood was a classic American painter – depicting the way things were around the time of The Great Depression. Wood’s most famous work is entitled American Gothic – you’ve probably seen it a million times: a man with a pitchfork and his wife (but is actually his daughter) stand in front of a white house. It is a simple, iconic and definitive portrayal of rural Americana. Grant won $300 for the painting, which is actually about 5 thousand dollars in today’s money. But what could be really going on this painting? With the expression on the woman’s face – maybe the painting is a prophetic message from concerned loved ones that you need to properly clean and sanitize your CPAP machine. Well, pitchfork dude, you are in luck, because the SoClean 2 is the only way to destroy 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and mold that can be found on your CPAP mask and supplies. Even if you don’t work on a farm and operate a pitchfork, you definitely want to use this wonderful contraption to clean your CPAP.
Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol
He lived with his mother (even after he became a famous artist), he was the progenitor of the Pop Art movement and he defined the essence of cool – Andy Warhol was a new kind of artist. He even made soup cans look cool and he was obsessed with celebrity culture. His famous quote: “Everyone gets their fifteen minutes of fame.” One of his most famous works of art, which has now become iconic, and has thus turned the subject of the painting into an icon, is his silkscreen portrait of Marilyn Monroe. There are actually many versions of this painting – in multiple colors. Warhol created the painting in 1962 – the year Marilyn (née Norma Jean) died in bed while gripping a telephone receiver. However, Warhol didn’t take the photograph that is featured in his painting – he appropriated it from a press photograph of the actress. In the photograph, Marilyn looks a little dazed and tired – perhaps she was hiding the ravages of obstructive sleep apnea. She was on a lot of sleep medication, so it could very well be. We’re pretty sure, though, that if she used Swift FX Bella Pink Mask System – with pink accents on the strap – and stuck with CPAP to treat her sleep apnea, she would perhaps be smiling a little more in that photograph and she may have even lived longer.
The Son of Man by Magritte
He was smart, funny and loved to trick the eye with his surrealist paintings – a giant comb in a tiny room, sure – the Belgian painter Rene Magritte was undoubtedly one of the most important artists in modern art history. He loved using imagery to make people believe they were seeing something that just wasn’t there – indeed, a pipe isn’t really a pipe if it’s painted a canvas, get it? One of his most famous works is entitled Son of Man, which features a fellow in a suit with his face obscured by an apple. People have poured over the meaning of this painting since the artist presented it in 1964. But what could it mean? Apparently, it is a self-portrait. Magritte fanatics believe that it is actually an exploration of his mother’s suicide, which happened when the painter was quite young – supposedly, he found her drowned in a river with part of her dress covering her face. But could there be a less morbid reasoning? Perhaps the painting is a depiction of Magritte’s struggle with sleep apnea and he is trying to hide his fatigue-ridden face? If the artist were alive today and traveling between exhibitions, he could easily pick up Easy Breathe’s CPAP Prescription Package, which allows you to get a prescription for CPAP in less than two business days – without visiting a doctor. Perfect for traveling surrealist artists or anybody on the go.
Portrait of Dora Maar by Pablo Picasso
He was the most famous artist of the 20th century. She was a young protégé and just one of the artist’s many faithful lovers. She was gorgeous. He was short and bald, but also an undeniable genius. He painted many portraits of her – Dora with a cat, Dora crying, Dora naked, Dora the explorer, and so on. You could say that she was his ultimate muse. In fact, some of the finest examples of Cubism are shown in Picasso’s portraits of Dora Maar – a nose where an eye should be, an eye where a nose should be, etc. However, what if Cubism wasn’t so much an example of modern art breaking away from the confines of neo-classicism, as it was a way to describe what it feels like to wake up in the morning after a long night of battling sleep apnea? If this is the case, and CPAP was around during Picasso’s time, these portraits would probably be very different. There is a good chance that Picasso would pick up the Quattro Air Mask System, which is perfect for a stocky, bull-fighting Spaniard painter who probably rolls around a lot in his sleep – the mask is also incredibly lightweight and comfortable.
In the end, a lot can be gleaned from art – it is a primal mode of expression that lets us inside the mind of an artist, while at the same time allowing us to explore who we are. However, we’ll never really know what some of the greatest artists of our time were thinking when they painted their masterpieces, so a lot of it is left to the imagination. And for sleep apnea sufferers, you can probably understand the concept of a tortured artist, because there is good chance that your sleep apnea is causing you to feel pretty tortured as well. Alas, though, you don’t need to drink absinthe until you fall asleep in the gutter of a Parisian street, you don’t need to cut off your ear, and you don’t need to walk roving mad through the streets of Oslo imagining terrifying, screaming creatures – all you really need is some CPAP treatment and a good night of sleep – oh, and a cozy mask will help too.
*This is a satirical piece of content and is not meant to be offensive. We hope you enjoy.
