Hand van iemand die vermoedelijk lijdt aan lichen planus c. 1860 - 1868

This is an image by A. de Montméja, entitled 'Hand van iemand die vermoedelijk lijdt aan lichen planus', or, 'Hand of someone presumably suffering from lichen planus.' This photograph likely dates from the late 19th century, a period when medical photography began to emerge as a means of documenting and studying various diseases. Consider the gaze of the medical professional, using the camera as a tool to objectify and distance themselves from the suffering of the patient. This act of documentation, while potentially aimed at advancing medical knowledge, also raises ethical questions about the representation and treatment of the individual. We are given a moment of scientific observation, yet we also confront the deeply personal experience of living with a disfiguring condition. What does it mean to see a body reduced to a medical specimen? Is it possible to look beyond the clinical gaze and acknowledge the person behind the disease?