The ties that bind past and present: Tony Robert-Fleury, Philippe Pinel and the Salpêtrière

Pinel Freeing the Insane from Their Chains (1876, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris) by Tony Robert-Fleury is one of the most famous depictions of the treatment of those suffering with a mental illness. The background of this life-size painting and the reasons for its commission are less well-known....

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Natasha Ruiz-Gómez, Michael Liebrenz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021-11-01
Series:Forensic Science International: Mind and Law
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666353821000060
Description
Summary:Pinel Freeing the Insane from Their Chains (1876, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris) by Tony Robert-Fleury is one of the most famous depictions of the treatment of those suffering with a mental illness. The background of this life-size painting and the reasons for its commission are less well-known. Through the lenses of art history and forensic psychiatry, this article examines the creation of Robert-Fleury's painting in relation to the medical and political context of late nineteenth-century France, including its indebtedness to Jean-Martin Charcot's studies of hysteria. The article also highlights the enduring significance of the artwork and its continued relevance to the modern practices of forensic psychiatry.
ISSN:2666-3538