Zes aanzichten van een onbekende jongen en man met musculaire atrofie before 1901

This is an unauthored medical illustration depicting six views of a young male patient with muscular atrophy. Dating from the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, we can understand this image as situated within the emergence of photography as a tool for medical knowledge. Consider how this type of photography served as a means of cataloging and classifying bodies based on perceived physical differences. The clinical setting, suggested by the neutral background and the patient's poses, reinforces the power dynamic between the observer and the observed. This image prompts us to reflect on the power of medical institutions in shaping our understanding of the human body. Researching the history of medical photography and the social context in which it was produced can further illuminate the meaning of this artwork, and the role of art as a tool to comment on the social structures of its time.