Skin abnormalities in the National Portrait Gallery.
Pathological changes in the human body have long been recognised in painting. To assess the frequency of potential physical abnormalities reflected in paintings, we reviewed portraits on display at one visit in the National Portrait Gallery in London. We identified a number of possible abnormalities, most of them dermatological, with the commonest finding being small facial papular lesions, most likely representing either common warts or dermal naevi. This exercise however, reflects a subjective interpretation of the different artists's perceptions of their models' physical appearances.
Department of Dermatology, Leeds General Infirmary, Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3EX, UK. roland@strauss.karoo.co.uk
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Strauss
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Marzo-Ortega
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Goulden
D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008512:Medicine in the Arts; D010151:Paintings / Q000266:history*; D011173:Portraits as Topic; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000266:history* / Q000473:pathology