AN ARTISTS DEFENSE AGAINST THE FEAR OF LOSS OF CREATIVITY TOWARD THE END OF LIFE

A creative artist in his mid-sixties had a strong desire to own and ca rry with him a drawing by Picasso-a self-portrait done three days befo re his death. The drawing created a sense of calm in the patient, such as had never occurred before with the possession of an object. An app arent preoccupation with death might have obscured the primary concern of the artist, which was about the loss of creative power, and it was for this reason that he wanted to possess the drawing. The idea that this might be viewed as a transitional object at the end of life is di scussed.