Disease and Disability in Medieval and Early Modern Art and Literature

Disease and Disability in Medieval and Early Modern Art and Literature Synopsis

Humanity has always shown a keen interest in the pathological, from a morbid fascination with 'monsters' and deformities to a genuine compassion for the ill and suffering. Medieval and early modern people were no exception, expressing their emotional response to disease in both literary works and, to a somewhat lesser extent, in the plastic arts. What motivated writers and artists to choose an illness or a disability and its physical and social consequences as subjects of aesthetic or intellectual expression? Were these works the result of an intrusion in their intent to faithfully reproduce nature, or do they reflect an intentional contrast against the portrayal of spiritual ideals and, later, through the influence of the classics, the rediscovered importance and beauty of the body?