Wound Man Lecture Reaction

 Today, I was able to attend the Jack Harnell lecture focused on following the many lives and afterlife of the Wound Man. His likeness was a staple in Medieval and Renaissance medical books and exemplified the bleak and often morose point of view that characterized the European psyche during that time. The Wound Man was a gruesome depiction of a man impaled thoroughly, labeled with different ailments that can impact the body. The primitive form of Operation acted as a guide, organizing both physical and mental ailments by the areas of the body they impacted, and included succinct sections detailing remedies for healers. Like Vesalius, artists struggled to depict the female anatomy due to issues of accessibility. Those that were able to often depicted the pregnant woman anatomy, labeled with ailments such as "difficulty with lactation" or "miscarriage" with the child or children featured in the rendering of the uterus. In addition to promoting new remedies, these diagrams were especially helpful for preparing for surgery at the didactic level. Throughout the lecture, we were able to discuss how the Wound Man had transcended the pages of medieval manuscripts and into popular culture. The infamous images have appeared in modern art, as well as TV shows as well. 

Similarly to the anatomical works of Vesalius, the idea of the Wound Man has definitely been romanticized. The drawing of the person is stylized, concealing the likely gruesomeness of the dead body being scrutinized and commodified for others to learn from. Additionally, the features of multiple impalements and skin lesions neatly portrayed on the page are far from reality. Nonetheless, one must consider again what one must have done to be reserved for scientific research following a likely gruesome death.