Can art cause distress?

When I was very young I saw a movie, which was actually a tragedy. It made me cry. I was sad for several days thinking about it. It was a superb depiction of the suffering of the poor. A real work of art.

I also felt bad when I saw some war scene paintings.

These art works make you think about human life, philosophy and perhaps even solutions to several problems.

 Recently when I saw this work of art from the Bowes museum, I felt distressed too. How can anybody try to kill another person? The person who is about to be stabbed would be in great distress too! Imagine the feelings that crosses the mind of the would be victim. Several thoughts made me uneasy. I know here I am thinking like an artist.

Here you can see a few crime scenes depicted in art:

http://www.mutualart.com/OpenExternalArticle/The-top-10-crime-scene...

But science says the brains of the killers work differently. They lacks 'empathy'. Therefore, these killers can  knock off the light from any human being with ease! They don't understand the value of life. They cannot think like a 'good human being'. This makes me understand the psychology of killers too!

David Garrick and Mrs Cibber as Jaffier and Belvidera in ‘Venice Preserv’d. ©The Bowes Museum.