L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano literature of tumors and treat- ments provide evidence that cancer, including breast can- c e r , w a s u n d e r s t o o d w e l l enough to be recognized in the Renaissance. Michelange- l o ' s a n a t o m i c a l a c c u r a c y , combined with this medical context, makes it conceivable that he incorporated visible signs of the disease into his frescoes with an intentional symbolic or allegorical pur- pose. The Night sculpture: a similar case The findings in The Flood fresco bear a striking resem- blance to a similar case in Michelangelo's marble sculp- ture Night, part of his Medici Chapel series in Florence. In this work, completed between 1524 and 1534, the figure of Night also displays signs that art historians and medical professionals have interpret- ed as advanced breast cancer. The statue's left breast shows distinct irregularities: a visi- ble bulge to the left of the nip- ple, a swollen areola, and a retracted area of skin. These features suggest the presence of a tumor, with potential involvement of the lymphatic s y s t e m , l e a d i n g s o m e were historically recognized. Michelangelo's interest in anatomy This discovery invites a broader discussion about Michelangelo's knowledge of anatomy. Known for his fasci- nation with the human body, the artist engaged in dissec- t i o n s o f h u m a n c o r p s e s , which was permitted during his time. His close anatomical studies are evident in his sculptures and paintings, where the realism and detail o f m u s c l e s , t e n d o n s , a n d other bodily features reveal his deep understanding of h u m a n p h y s i o l o g y . T h i s knowledge likely influenced h i s w o r k i n t h e S i s t i n e Chapel, where figures are painted with anatomical pre- cision that few artists of his time could match. Given this background, it is plausible that Michelangelo had knowledge of diseases like cancer. Indeed, while modern perceptions often regard cancer as a contempo- r a r y i l l n e s s , a n c i e n t a n d medieval texts reveal that cancer was documented by notable figures such as Hip- pocrates, Galen, and Avicen- na; moreover, descriptions in researchers to conclude that Michelangelo intentionally sculpted Night with symp- toms resembling breast can- cer. The concept of allegorizing illness in Renaissance art holds weight, particularly given Michelangelo's symbol- ic approach to his figures. The M e d i c i C h a p e l s e r i e s w a s laden with metaphoric signif- icance, and Night is often interpreted as a symbol of mortality and the inevitability of death. Depicting the figure as afflicted by illness could be Michelangelo's way of rein- forcing the transitory nature of life, a theme that recurs throughout his works in both sculpture and painting. This interpretation mirrors Dr. Nerlich's team's theory that the woman in The Flood is portrayed as suffering from breast cancer not merely by chance but as a representa- tion of human frailty or even punishment within a Biblical narrative. In this context, her illness may symbolize divine retribution, particularly given that the fresco shows God's punishment of humanity dur- ing the flood. Symbolism and disease in Renaissance art The findings in Michelan- gelo's works contribute to a broader understanding of how Renaissance artists may have approached the subject of disease. Art from this peri- od often reflects complex lay- ers of symbolism, with physi- cal ailments used to represent moral or spiritual conditions. Illness, especially in an era when medicine was limited, was often seen as a reflection of inner corruption or a con- sequence of sin. The woman's suffering in The Flood could fit into this interpretation, and embody a punishment for humanity's failings. The use of breast cancer in particular carries significant symbolic weight, as breasts have historically been seen as symbols of femininity and nurturing, therefore, repre- s e n t i n g a d i s e a s e d b r e a s t might symbolize the loss of purity or the tainting of an ideal. However, Michelange- lo's attention to detail also points to the potential for art to serve as a historical record of disease. Through iconodi- agnosis, modern researchers are now beginning to see art not only as an aesthetic or cultural artifact but also as a repository of medical knowl- edge, providing insights into how illness was perceived and represented in past eras. and concluded that her con- dition could symbolize an awareness of disease, one that Michelangelo perhaps i n t e n d e d t o b e a s t y l i s t i c metaphor rather than a literal depiction of illness. In The Flood, the woman i n q u e s t i o n w e a r s a b l u e headscarf, denoting her sta- tus as a married woman. She clutches the area below her right breast, which exhibits distinct signs of breast cancer according to the team's find- i n g s . M e d i c a l m a r k e r s include a puckered nipple, a s w o l l e n a r e a s u g g e s t i n g lymph node involvement, and a second lump near her armpit. One side of her breast also shows an orange hue, a d i s c o l o r a t i o n t h a t t h e researchers interpreted as an artistic choice rather than a literal representation of peau d'orange, a term for the skin dimpling often associated with advanced breast cancer. T h i s r e p r e s e n t a t i o n m a y serve as an early example of the human form being used to reflect medical conditions, showing that Renaissance artists, Michelangelo among them, might have incorporat- ed knowledge of diseases that T he Sistine Cha- pel is probably one of the most celebrated works o f t h e R e n a i s - sance era. Built in the 15th century under Pope Sixtus IV and named in his honor, the chapel forms part of the Vati- can's Apostolic Palace and serves as the pope's private chapel. While its walls were initially adorned by various artists, including Botticelli a n d G h i r l a n d a i o , i t w a s Michelangelo Buonarroti who transformed it into the masterpiece we know and admire, when he painted its ceiling between 1508 and 1512. His frescoes, commis- s i o n e d b y P o p e J u l i u s I I , depict scenes from the Book o f G e n e s i s , i n c l u d i n g t h e famed Creation of Adam, and present an expansive narrative of Old Testament events. Michelangelo returned to the Sistine Chapel later in his life to create the Last Judg- ment on the altar wall, a w o r k c o m p l e t e d i n 1 5 4 1 . T o g e t h e r , t h e s e f r e s c o e s reveal not only Michelange- lo's skill in portraying the h u m a n f o r m b u t a l s o h i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f h u m a n nature and spirituality. Yet, centuries later, art his- torians and medical experts are uncovering new interpre- tations of his work, with some suggesting that Michelangelo may have embedded medical symbolism in his depictions. This view offers a fresh per- spective on how Renaissance artists may have used depic- tions of disease as allegories or metaphors within their work. The discovery: breast cancer in The Flood Recent research published in The Breast journal high- lights a previously unnoticed detail in Michelangelo's Sis- tine Chapel work: a woman portrayed in The Flood, a scene in the ceiling's second section, exhibits features that suggest she may have been suffering from breast can- cer. This finding emerged from the growing field of ico- nodiagnosis, which com- bines art history with medical analysis to identify signs of disease in historical artworks. L e d b y D r . A n d r e a s G . N e r l i c h , a t e a m o f e i g h t European art historians and medical experts examined the woman's anatomical features CHIARA D'ALESSIO Life and illness in the Sistine Chapel An aerial view of the Sistine Chapel (Pytyczech/Dreamstime). Bottom left, The Creation of Adam, perhaps the most famous among the frescoes inside it (Photo: Nickolayv/Dreamstime) LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

• Cover