Nutrition and art: 19th century images of scurvy, chlorosis, and pellagra

Abstract

Epidemics of nutritional deficiency disorders, caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals, were once very common and claimed many victims. Fortunately, advances in medicine have led to improved diets and a decline in the incidence of these disorders so that they are now seen clinically less often. Reminders of diseases such as scurvy, chlorosis, and pellagra can be found in artwork from the 19th century. The striking clinical presentation of these diseases caught the attention of artists who used them as themes in their work. We discuss the following three works of art: Gustave Doré's engraving for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (plate 10), which features scurvy; Sebastian Junyent's painting Chlorosis; and Giuseppe Mentessi's painting Our Daily Bread, which portrays pellagra.