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Perilous Chastity: Women and Illness in Pre-Enlightenment Art and Medicine
"Wonderfully engaging, this unique study shows how art reveals a misogynistic medical establishment's attitudes toward women. Dixon traces the origins of 'hysteria,' richly illustrating her analysis with more than 100 paintings from the 13th through the 18th centuries, focusing primarily on 17th-century Dutch works."--Publishers Weekly
297 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1995
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September 15, 2020WRB review "Hysterical Females" sept 1995
'guide to premodern Western medical theories about women's health, sexuality and reproductive functions in the form of an analysis of Dutch paintings with the common themes of the "lovesick maiden' and the "doctor's visit".
"Leiden, the international center in the 17c for the study of medicine"
17c Dutch art 'revealed, justified and perpetuated an ancient medical belief in the innate instability of the female sex, thereby reinforcing traditional notions about women's societal roles and intellectual capabilities."
'guide to premodern Western medical theories about women's health, sexuality and reproductive functions in the form of an analysis of Dutch paintings with the common themes of the "lovesick maiden' and the "doctor's visit".
"Leiden, the international center in the 17c for the study of medicine"
17c Dutch art 'revealed, justified and perpetuated an ancient medical belief in the innate instability of the female sex, thereby reinforcing traditional notions about women's societal roles and intellectual capabilities."
Displaying 1 of 1 review