Portret van een onbekende man die lijdt aan favus op het hoofd c. 1860 - 1868

Editor: This is a page from a medical book, featuring a print titled "Portret van een onbekende man die lijdt aan favus op het hoofd," or "Portrait of an unknown man suffering from favus on the head," made circa 1860-1868 by A. de Montméja. It's…unsettling. The yellow scabs on his head contrast sharply with his otherwise somber expression. What do you see here, beyond the immediately obvious medical context? Curator: The yellow, you say. That resonates with me, recalling historical uses of yellow to signify the ‘other’ or the diseased within communities, marking individuals with a visible symbol of their ostracization. Do you think that association holds true here, or is the colour merely a descriptive element, devoid of such cultural weight? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way, but it adds another layer to the portrait. It makes me wonder if the man was aware of how society perceived his condition and himself through that. Curator: Exactly! Favus, being a visible ailment, likely transformed the subject’s public identity. This image then becomes a cultural artifact capturing not just a medical condition, but also the psychological impact of disease, mirrored in social perceptions. How do you think that changes our viewing experience? Editor: It makes me consider the weight of symbols—in this case, the colour, the visual sign of the disease. It shows that these visible symbols deeply affect our understanding and interactions. It reminds me to look beyond what’s immediately presented. Curator: Yes, these older images ask us to confront uncomfortable truths, prompting self-reflection on how societies treat those marked by difference or disease. Perhaps seeing such stigmatization makes one sensitive and hopefully, to some degree, prevents similar practices in the present.