Room 5: Epilepsy and Art

Epilepsy motifs in painting

• Holy Healers
  - Votive tablets
  - Jesus Christ as a healer of epilepsy
  - Patron saints of epilepsy
• "Epilepsy surgery" from ancient Greek and Roman times, and from the Middle Ages
• Epilepsy motifs from Central America
• modern works

Epilepsy motifs in sculpture

Literaturliste: Epilepsy motifs in narrative literature

For more details, click on the pictures!

Votive tablets

Votive tablets have played a major role in Christian tradition since the 17th century. They are simple pictures painted on wood tablets depicting the reason why people called for help (e.g. sickness, an accident, or war) or the saint who is called upon to help.

The votive tablets were usually displayed in churches or places of pilgrimage as a visible sign that heavenly grace had been received or that a vow had been taken.

Alt-Ötting, Bavaria	epileptic girl, approx. 1510	Votive tablet from 1668	Verre églomisé picture	Majolika tablet
	Saint Antonius	Saint Valentin and the Virgin Mary	Votive tablet from 1766

Jesus Christ as a healer of epilepsy

	Miniature (Heures du Duc de Berry)	Tablet around 1750	The transfiguration

Patron saints of epilepsy

Saint Valentin	Saint Bernhard	The Healing of a Woman with the Falling Sickness.	Saint Cyriakus	Saint Severin of Noricum
		Saint Ubald of Gubbio.

"Epilepsy surgery" from ancient Greek and Roman times, and from the Middle Ages

The stone-cutter	"Epilepticus sic curabitur"	El Bosco (1460-1516)

Epilepsy motifs from Central America

Tlazolteotl	Capac Yupanqui's wife

modern works

Hommage to Vincent	The Symbolism of Epilepsy	What is it?

Epilepsy motifs in sculpture

Falling sickness I	The Samaritan	Your mind is your force

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