Dermato-Iconography

Skin, Art, and the Imaginary

Micro-lectures & Table talk

Human skin is a unique canvas on which our life story is inscribed from birth to death. The ability to see and to interpret it is vital in the context of skin disease. Historically, dermatology has relied on images and detailed clinical descriptions for diagnosis: Dermatological atlases and art history offer a vast archive of disease narratives embedded in aestheticised representations of skin, providing a valuable training ground for the diagnostic gaze. Paintings and sculp­tures across centuries depict visible signs of disease, reflecting the medical knowledge of their time and broader cultural and historical understandings of ill­ness. This rich body of work not only reflects European medical history but is also deeply intertwined with colonial legacies.

In recent years, the idea that an informed engagement with art, literature and cultural history can enhance visual and descriptive diagnostic skills has ignited a strong flame that art-based educational interventions in dermatology can play a pivotal role in diagnostics, hand in hand with the inevitable assistance of machine-based diagnostics. Leading dermatologists warn that if we do not educate the next generation of medical students to read and describe the world creatively and independently, and instead rely solely on digital biomarkers and AIS, “there will possibly be no data that can be used to feed the future AIS” (Miller/Jemec). Both experienced art historians and ex­perienced dermatologists make independent judgments when first examining a work of art or a patient’s skin: they read and interpret its unique texture before arriving at a diagnosis. Skin colour also plays a role, as darker skin tones, for example, remain underrepresented in existing datasets, limiting AI-driven systems’ ability to analyse lesions accurately. How can we raise awareness of the importance of these visual literacy skills for both diagnostics and skin health in general?

The micro-lectures and table talk respond to current challenges by bringing together dermatologists, anthropologists, art historians, and cultural studies scholars for a timely and engaging conversation about the complexities of diagnosing and treating skin-(diseases).