Abstract
Have you ever read Poe's, Maupassant's or Hemingway's works, examined Van Gogh's, Picasso's, Toulouse-Lautrec's or Manet's paintings, or even studied Baudelaire's, Rimbaud's or Wilde's pieces of art? Chances are you have, which means that you have also tasted the effects of la fée verte, the green fairy, i.e. absinthe. Absinthe is a mystical spirit in nearly every aspect, and it has been a muse for many artists in the second half of the 19th century and in the early 20th century. Absinthe is known for producing extreme creativity and hallucinations, the reason why many artists were fond of the beverage. It can be best described as a kind of heightened clarity of mind and vision warmed by the effect of alcohol. Doesn't inspector Frederick Abberline, aka Johnny Depp in the movie “From Hell”, use absinthe as a visionary fluid to have a better understanding of the case he is covering?
