'Epidemic' of hand deformities in the French Renaissance paintings of Jean and François Clouet.
This article analyses the nature of the multiple finger anomalies found in portraits by the French Renaissance artistic dynasty, the Clouets. The multiplicity of finger anomalies could be either innocent congenital variants, or pathological and traumatic deformities. In view of the presence of such `beautifying variations' in the works of other Renaissance artists, the authors decided that these features were not the result of an epidemic of deformities, but instead represented a stylistic approach in paintings of this period at the French Court.
From the School of Humanities and Languages, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia School of Humanities, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.
G M
GM
Weisz
School of Humanities, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.
W R
WR
Albury
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Division of Rheumatology AOUC, University of Florence, Italy.
M
M
Matucci-Cerinic
Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Villa Salaria Clinic, Rome, ItalyAddress correspondence to: Davide Lazzeri, MD, Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Villa Salaria Clinic, Rome, Italy. davidelazzeri@gmail.com.
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Lazzeri
D005385:Fingers / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005602:France; D006226:Hand Deformities / Q000266:history*; D049669:History, 16th Century; D006801:Humans; D008512:Medicine in the Arts; D010151:Paintings