Visible signs of illness from the 14th to the 20th century: systematic review of portraits

Breast Cancer in Two Ex-Votos, A Millennia Apart: Patients' Hope and Faith Expressed Through the Centuries in Votive Offerings

A votive offering or ex-voto includes a variety of usually non-professional artworks offered to divinities and placed in religious sites to fulfill a vow or in gratitude for recovery from an illness or injury. Unfortunately, the ancient period lacks a scientifically verifiable understanding of the true nature of cancer and its natural history and, consequently, a lack of effective treatment. This paper discusses two ex-votos potentially related to breast cancer distant more than 2000 years, one from the other. The ex-votos convey the complex relationship of humans with illness through an art expression stemming from the heart and minds of ordinary people.

Goitrous beauty in Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith and her Maidservant

This paper discusses the representation of goiter in Artemisia Gentileschi's painting Judith and her Maidservant. Judith is depicted with a goiter, which despite being the manifestation of a possible hypothyroidism, in no way detracts from her beauty. The case is presented in the wider context of the representation of goiter in art.