Museum of the History of Medicine

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, we cordially invite you to explore our newly opened exhibition located in the connector between the Rectorate and LIC (Library-Information Centre) buildings. The Museum of the History of Medicine at the Medical University of Warsaw takes great pride in presenting reproductions of paintings and prints, primarily focusing on Dutch and Flemish art from the 17th century. The central theme of the exhibition revolves around the interaction between patient and doctor.

The equating relationship between medicine and art can be traced back to the classical definition of art, first articulated by Aristotle and further developed by St. Thomas Aquinas. According to Aquinas, art is the principle of creating intentional works that aim to compensate for the deficiencies left by nature. He famously stated, “Ars imitatur naturam et suplet defectum naturae in illis inquibus” (“Art imitates nature and compensates for its deficiencies.”). When we reflect upon the most profound deficiency experienced by humans, it becomes evident that it is the lack of health. In a similar vein, medicine also imitates nature, particularly in its fundamental characteristic of intentionality. The art of medicine recognizes the potential to address and remedy specific deficiencies permitted by nature, acting as a reflection of knowledge about the world and a means to restore it. This humanistic purpose is crucial in preventing the scientific dimension from overshadowing the essence of medicine—the patient—and ensuring that medical care does not reduce the human being to a mere case of illness.

The journey towards medicine’s recognition of the laws of nature was fraught with challenges and obstacles. Prior to the 20th century, even less severe illnesses could often result in death or permanent disability. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the relationship between the sick person and the healer was a prevalent theme in fine arts, sometimes depicted with a touch of humour.

Genre painting gained popularity during the modern era, particularly among Dutch and Flemish artists. They explored various aspects of everyday life and incorporated them into their works. Medicine became a popular subject, with artists portraying doctors engrossed in caring for sick and suffering individuals, as well as condemning the actions of charlatans and ridiculing the gullibility of uneducated patients. These scenes were often set in humble inns, bustling fairs, or the homes of the affluent bourgeoisie.

One recurring subject depicted in these artworks was the examination of the pulse and urinalysis by physicians. Another frequently portrayed motif was doctors being summoned to attend to girls afflicted with lovesickness. Toothaches were often satirized by artists, along with depictions of simple surgical procedures performed by medical practitioners, such as the removal of the “madness stone” from the skull of an insane patient.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are very pleased to inform you that our Museum has co-organised an exhibition to mark the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Orthopaedic Clinic.

The exhibition is located at 4 Lindley Street in the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology and accompanies a ceremonial meeting of the Polish Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. You are cordially invited to explore the history of the Clinic.

 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen

We would like to invite you to visit our new exhibition, located in the Rector’s Office building, prepared to commemorate a significant event in the history of our university, which took place 100 years ago. The exhibition runs between 01.10.2022 and 12.12.2022

On 2nd May 1921, for the first time in the history of the University, an honorary doctorate was conferred on the Faculty of Medicine – it was awarded to Marshal Józef Piłsudski. On that day, the dean’s and rector’s insignia were conferred on the University authorities.

The decision to honour Józef Piłsudski ‘in recognition of his services to Polish science in general, to Polish medicine and in particular the University’s Faculty of Medicine’ was made at the request of the Faculty Council on 30 April 1920, when military operation was held and many professors were on military service.

 

We would like to  present our new online exhibition entitled “In the world of skeletons, dragons and ghosts, or about the symbolism of representations of infectious diseases in visual arts.” Due to the current epidemiological situation, it is currently only available in the virtual world, but after returning to normality (we hope as soon as possible), we invite you to see it at the Medical University of Warsaw – in the Library and Information Center.

The language of allegory has always played an important role in depicting infectious diseases. In particular many representations of this kind appeared in mediaeval art, because at that time pestilence was associated with a divine punishment for the sins and transgressions of people. Polychrome paintings and sculptures depicting devils, dragons and ghouls as epidemics can today still be found in early European churches. Many of these sacred representations, such as the famous danse macabre (or Dance of Death) motif, were associated with the Black Death – the most terrifying plague in human history. Emperors, queens, popes and ordinary townsfolk, peasants and even the homeless took part in the dancing procession led by a skeleton symbolizing death. The theme of infectious diseases was also taken up by numerous early modern artists, such as Albrecht Dürer, Peter Bruegel the Elder and Hans Holbein. Continue reading ““In the world of skeletons, dragons and ghosts, or about the symbolism of representations of infectious diseases in the visual arts””