Pathology and Visual Culture: The Scientific Artworks of Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot and the Salptrire School

In this book, Natasha Ruiz-Gmez delves into an extraordinary collection of pathological drawings, photographs, sculptures, and casts created by neurologists at Paris's Hpital de la Salptrire in the nineteenth century. Led by Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893) and known collectively as the Salptrire School, these savants-artistes produced works that demonstrated an engagement with contemporary artistic discourses and the history of art, even as the artist/clinicians professed their dedication to absolute objectivity.

During his lifetime, Charcot became internationally famous for his studies of hysteria and hypnosis, establishing himself as a pioneer in modern neurology. However, this book brings to light the often-overlooked contributions of other clinicians like Dr. Paul Richer, who created "scientific artworks" that merged scientific objectivity with artistic intervention. Challenging conventional interpretations of visual media in medicine, Ruiz-Gmez analyzes how these images and objects documented symptoms and neuropathology while defying disciplinary categorization.

Grounded in extensive archival research, Pathology and Visual Culture targets an international audience of historians and students of art, visual culture, medicine, and the medical humanities. It will also captivate neurologists and anyone interested in fin-de-sicle French history and culture.