Tuesday 3 May 2016

The Sick Rose

The book: The Sick Rose was another Christmas present from my brother. My parents were not too thrilled with this present, as it was very gruesome/gory and had some quite grotesque images in it.

I was a little caught off guard when I opened this, but when I looked through I found it quite interesting, the images are really horrifying yet, I think it's quite a really nice designed book. It is again, bound for 1/4 and again, is very beautiful.

Overview:
'The Sick Rose is a visual tour through the golden age of medical illustration. The nineteenth century experienced an explosion of epidemics such as cholera and diphtheria, driven by industrialization, urbanization, and poor hygiene. In this pre-color-photography era, accurate images were relied upon to teach students and aid diagnosis. 
The best examples, featured here, are remarkable pieces of art that attempted to elucidate the mysteries of the body, and the successive onset of each affliction. Bizarre and captivating images, including close-up details and revealing cross-sections, make all too clear the fascinations of both doctors and artists of the time. 
Barnett illuminates the fears and obsessions of a society gripped by disease, yet slowly coming to understand and combat it. The age also saw the acceptance of vaccination and the germ theory, and notable diagrams that transformed public health, such as John Snow’s cholera map and Florence Nightingale’s pioneering histograms, are included and explained. Organized by disease, The Sick Rose ranges from little-known ailments now all but forgotten to the epidemics that shaped the modern age. It is a fascinating Wunderkammer of a book that will enthrall artists, students, designers, scientists and the incurably curious everywhere.'





No comments:

Post a Comment