A graphic-painterly reflection on paper to “Mother with the Child and little John” (1527/28) by Jacopo Carrucci da Pontormo. The High Renaissance artist (1494-1557) was an introvert and suffered from social anxiety disorder and panic attacks. The depictions of his characters are motionless serious or filled with sadness. Male and female features were blurred by him. There is still a lack of well-founded awareness among the public and in the art scene in general that mental stress or illnesses are gender-free. Dealing with concepts, structures, work processes and systems can be exciting but also exhausting.