Art and the history of medicine. The dwarf pointed by Mantegna of Montua and the Morgante of Florence.
This short article concerns two images which relate art and the history of medicine. The first is a fresco by Andrea Mantegna, from the period 1465-1474, when he was at the Gonzaga court of Ludovic III. This painting includes a female dwarf. Modern ideas on dwarfism are briefly discussed and another dwarf, Morgante, from the court of the Medicis in Florence, is described and illustrated.
Battin
Jacques
J
French National Academy of Medicine. jacquesbattin@aol.com
D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000266:history; D004393:Dwarfism, Pituitary / Q000266:history*; D005260:Female; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008512:Medicine in the Arts; D010151:Paintings / Q000266:history*; D012938:Social Perception