Saint Valentine blessing an epileptic. Coloured etching.

Reference:
18488i
  • Pictures
  • Online

Available online

view Saint Valentine blessing an epileptic. Coloured etching.

Contains: 1 image

Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

You can use this work for any purpose, including commercial uses, without restriction under copyright law. You should also provide attribution to the original work, source and licence. Read more about this licence.

Credit

Saint Valentine blessing an epileptic. Coloured etching. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Selected images from this work

View 3 images

About this work

Description

Saint Valentine was bishop of Terni in the third century. The man "falling" at the saint's feet is an epileptic: epilepsy has been known as the "falling sickness", "fallende Sucht", "Fallsucht" etc. Saint Valentine's patronage of epileptics is probably due to the assonance between his name and the Germanic word "fall". Top left, the monogram IHS (for the name of Jesus), with the cross above and the Sacred Heart pierced by three nails below, all surrounded by the sun: the rays of the sun (divine Grace) fall on the epileptic man through the intercession of Saint Valentine

Physical description

1 print : etching, with watercolour and black ink ; platemark 20.2 x 16.2 cm

Related material

In series with : Saint Odilia as protector against eye-pain and rat infestation. Coloured etching. (Wcat)6712i

Lettering

S: Walenti patron od chorobi ciezki. Translation of the lettering: Saint Valentine, patron of serious disease

References note

W. Schupbach, The Iconographic Collections of the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, London 1989, p. 35

Reference

Wellcome Collection 18488i

Type/Technique

Languages

Where to find it

  • LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores

Permanent link