The Magic Body: Visualising Medieval Medicine

Before modern medicine, which developed in the late 18th century, the body was treated in relation to the cycles of nature. Some scholars have called this ‘the greening of the body’, exploring how ancient and medieval people thought of a human like a plant, growing and changing with the seasons. The theories of astrology and the four humours that conceive of the body in flux with its environment may seem like pseudo-science in our contemporary world, but these ways of thinking are not as ‘wacky’ as our far-too-logical minds might believe. The body as a product of nature is a complex, highly abstract concept, one that medieval artists helped to visualise and make sense of. This talk looks at the body in ancient and medieval medical art, its balances and its magical properties. We’ll look at a wide range of art, charts, paintings and drawings from Leonardo to Dürer, medieval manuscripts, medical manuals and cathedral sculptures. In a world of climate crisis, this nature-based medieval thinking may help us conceive of the human body as a product of environment rather than the dominator of it.

Please, note:

the total duration of the event is 1 hour ( ~ 50mins lecture and 10mins Q&A)
the talk doesn’t require any prior training and anyone can join
This event will be recorded: the video will be available in 3-5 days after the talk
Guests can access all videos at a small fee; videos for members are free of charge
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MORE ON this theme: MAGIC, MYSTERY, MIRACLES (SOON)

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SPEAKER – SARAH JAFFRAY
Sarah Jaffray holds a BA and MA in Art History with an emphasis in 19th/20th century France and a minor in the Italian Renaissance. She holds a second MA in Cultural Theory from Goldsmiths, University of London. Sarah was a lecturer for several colleges and universities in the Los Angeles area before relocating to London in 2012. She has worked in curatorial roles at the British Museum and Wellcome Collection. Sarah is currently a lecturer at the University of Arts London and Coordinator for City Lit’s Art History programme. Her art historical practice focuses on experimental narratives, artistic process, art pedagogy, politics and philosophy. Sarah’s current research is focused on translation and empathy.