title: Historical evidence supports El Greco's depiction of a neurological condition in his attributed self-portrait.
abstract: Icono-diagnosis, the retrospective image-based diagnosis of pathologies, was applied to the canvas "Portrait of an Old Man" (1595-1600), an attributed self-portrait painted by El Greco. The presence of congenital enophthalmos, strabismus, probable amblyopia and signs of left neglect were found. We assume these sign may be consistent an ischemic event affecting the right middle cerebral artery supply territory. Historically, motor activity was not compromised and the painter was able to return to portraiture. Documental evidence indicates, that a few years later (1608), El Greco suffered another cerebrovascular event resulting in agraphia. The pictorial and historical evidence is consistent with multiple ischemic events resulting in progressive disabilities with fluctuating course characterized by temporary improvements and worsening before his death in 1614.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Paediatric Sciences, Legal Medicine Section, University of Turin, Corso Galileo Galilei, 22 10126 Turin, Italy; UMR 7268, Laboratoire d'Anthropologie bio-culturelle, Droit, Etique & Santé (Adés), Faculté de Médecine de Marseille, Secteur Nord Batiment A - CS80011 Bd Pierre Dramard, 13344 Marseille Cedex 15, France. Electronic address: raffaella.bianucci@unito.it.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bianucci
authors.affiliation: Department of History and Theory of Art, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marías Franco
authors.affiliation: New Mexico Health Enhancement and Marathon Clinics Research Foundation, 361 Ridge Horne, Albuquerque, NM, USA; New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, 1801 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Appenzeller
mesh_terms: D001251:Astigmatism / Q000266:history*; D015841:Enophthalmos / Q000266:history* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005197:Famous Persons; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010151:Paintings / Q000266:history*
keywords: Agraphia; Neglect; Spain; Spot diagnoses; Strabismus