HANDWRITING

Freud's translation of
Charcot's lectures into German
Holograph manuscript, 1886

The Jacob Freud family,
Vienna, ca. 1878



From analyze of F's handwriting
Freud's compact, heavily- pressured handwriting with numerous restrictions shows that he was temperamentally volatile and subject to emotional torment, dark moods and impulsive outbursts.

He was a passionate and intense character who saw everything in shades of black and white and his bouts of frustration and anger were no doubt a force to be reckoned with. He was a turbulent character and his handwriting clearly mirrors that dark brooding quality.

There is also a strong element of untamed inventiveness, of genius unconfined by established rules and a boundless creative energy exudes from every letter...
It is obvious from Freud's writing that he was easily hurt. A high degree of tension in his handwriting , heavy pressure, irregularity, discordances and lack of rhythm all point to his moodiness. His strong resentments and undying grudges are plain to see but above all, it is striking to see how deeply he loved and how vigorously he hated.

Passion is the word best used to describe Freud's handwriting with its ink-filled letters and many sweeping extensions. He showed a passion in his beliefs and a passion in his relationships. Small wonder that his philosophy evolved around sex.

Certainly, his courtship of his wife, Martha Bernays was ardent enough when in addressing a letter to her he started it with: "My sweet darling girl". This was no luke-warm character. Neither, years later, would he have been lukewarm in his friendship with the beautiful Lou Andreas-Salome, a notable seductress who ostensibly admired his intellect.