Epileptics Walking to the Left 1642

Curator: Here we have a 17th-century engraving titled "Epileptics Walking to the Left," created by Hendrick Hondius I in 1642. It's quite a compelling image, now housed here at The Met. What's your initial reaction to it? Editor: Well, immediately, I’m struck by the disorientation it evokes. The figures seem almost to be caught in a perpetual, unsettling dance, a whirlwind of shared distress. The etching possesses a sort of disturbing sympathy for its afflicted subjects. Curator: Indeed. It’s crucial to understand the societal context of the time. Epileptics were often marginalized, misunderstood, even feared. Hondius’s print, while perhaps not entirely free from the biases of the period, provides a glimpse into how such conditions were viewed and represented in art. Notice how the artist chose to display the group on the margins, excluded at a bridge. What are some recurring symbols you identify? Editor: I observe that several individuals are being supported, held up by others, as they convulse. These groupings read as a manifestation of a sort of support network, visually underlining community reliance in the face of individual suffering. It also reads a bit like ritual. Are they victims, performers, or perhaps some forbidden cult? Curator: That’s a thought-provoking reading. It prompts us to consider the potential performative aspect of illness in that era. Their portrayal challenges the traditional norms of representation and sheds light on a marginalized group within 17th-century society, a complex social dynamic. Editor: It certainly complicates simple assumptions. Also, consider the lone figure resting or abandoned, below a tree. Is it physical exhaustion, social ostracization, some form of treatment? The engraving suggests narrative threads beyond just documenting the illness itself, suggesting its broader social consequences. Curator: I agree. This image, beyond its immediate depiction of a medical condition, serves as a powerful testament to social attitudes and institutional frameworks prevalent in 17th-century Europe, and that period’s aesthetic representation. Editor: Yes, looking closely has helped me better contextualize the depth and sensitivity of the symbolisms and possible readings that we have before us here. I appreciate the layers here, and this moment to pause and consider the possibilities and the impact that such symbols hold to this day.