Onderdeel van het menselijk lichaam met een afwijking 1836 - 1912

Isaac Weissenbruch, born in 1826, created this etching called 'Part of the human body with an abnormality.' During the 19th century, the representation of the human body in art became increasingly intertwined with emerging medical sciences. This etching is stark and clinical. It depicts a specimen, devoid of the romanticism or idealization often found in traditional portraiture. The abnormality, which could be a tumor or a growth, challenges conventional notions of beauty, health and normalcy. How might this challenge to normalcy reflect society’s treatment of individuals deemed ‘different’ or ‘abnormal’? The clinical gaze, devoid of emotion, might mirror how society often objectifies and marginalizes those who don’t fit conventional standards. It raises questions about empathy, acceptance, and the medicalization of identity. Weissenbruch invites us to confront our own discomfort with the imperfect and to consider the ethical implications of how we perceive and treat bodies that deviate from the norm.