Overview

Prometheus was punished by the supreme god Zeus for giving to mankind the Olympic fire with which they learned to think and feel. He was chained to a cliff in the Caucasus, where, to make matters worse, he was visited daily by an eagle who ate part of his liver. At night, however, his liver grew back. We now know that the liver can regenerate, but were the ancient Greeks aware of this quality? The myth of Prometheus has been a source of inspiration for many visual artists over the centuries. In this book, the medical history of the liver is traced through the ages through an examination of historical texts on the organ’s functions and properties, parallel to the art movements in which the fascinating iconography of Prometheus is reviewed. The book offers a surprising interplay of art and medicine, placing emphasis on the unique morphology of the liver.

Full Product Details

Author:   Julia van Rosmalen ,  Merel van Gulik ,  Belle van Rosmalen ,  Thomas van Gulik
Publisher:   Amsterdam University Press
Imprint:   Amsterdam University Press
ISBN:  

9789463723091

ISBN 10:   9463723099
Pages:   208
Publication Date:   02 May 2022
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Introduction The Prometheus myth The depiction of Prometheus in classical antiquity The liver according to the ancient Greeks and the etruscans The haruspex and Hepatoscopy Prometheus in the Middle Ages The liver in the in the Middle Ages, according to Galenus Prometheus in the Renaissance The liver in the renaissance as described by Reisch, Vesalius and Da Vinci Prometheus in the Baroque The wounds of christ and prometheus – two of a kind? The liver in the Baroque, according to van der Spiegel, Glisson and Bidloo Prometheus and modernity Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: or the modern Prometheus The liver in the enlightenment The 20th century Prometheus Liver surgery and liver regeneration Regeneration of the Hydra polyp Acknowledgements On the Authors Image descriptions Bibliography

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Author Information

Julia van Rosmalen specialized in the iconography of medieval art at the Courtauld Institute of Art. She worked as a Voluntary Research Fellow at the Catholic University Leuven. She has conducted this work as part of the Prometheus Project under Professor Thomas van Gulik at the Amsterdam University Medical Centers. Merel van Gulik studied classics and Italian language and culture at the University of Amsterdam. Belle van Rosmalen is a PhD candidate at the Department of Surgery at the Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam. Thomas van Gulik is emeritus Professor of Surgery at the Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam.

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