EPIDEMICS OF THE LAST MILLENNIUM DEPICTED IN ART: A NARRATIVE REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47820/recima21.v6i6.6516Palavras-chave:
COVID-19., Bubonic plague, : Art. Epidemics, EpidemicsResumo
Art offers a unique approach to explore complexities of human experience, allowing analysis of medical issues not only from a scientific point of view, but also from an emotional, cultural, and ethical perspective. Detailed observation of paintings can help in the semiological consolidation of illnesses, complementing the care model in medicine. This article aimed to explore the relationship between art and epidemics over the last millennium focusing on the Black Death or bubonic plague and COVID-19. The former was one of the greatest epidemics in history and brought profound health impacts to society during the 14th century, as did the recent outbreak of the latter. The literature selection was based on descriptors and search filters applied to public domain electronic databases with scientific support. Following inclusion and exclusion criteria and filters elected for this study, 20 publications available in electronic databases were selected. Also, two paintings compatible with these publications were chosen. Thus, in this narrative review we sought to reflect on the importance of art in medicine and how the observation of paintings can help medical teaching. Furthermore, we highlighted the relevance of considering cultural and biological aspects, as well as semiological analyses of different views on epidemics throughout history. We expect that this article contributes to the discussion of the relationship between art and medicine and how art can be used to improve medical teaching and the understanding of epidemics.
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