Scull of a public woman, remarkable for the depravity of her morals, her great propensity to steal and cruellty.

Previous title, replaced February 2022: Skull of a prostitute who accompanied the army and was reputed to be cruel and violent: frontal view. Lithograph

[1835?]

1 print : lithograph

Fig. 2. Scull of a public woman, remarkable for the depravity of her morals, her great propensity to steal and cruellty ... Lettering continues with French text not derived from the printed lithograph but from the descriptipn of it in Vimont's letterpress volumes: "Voici quels sont les renseignemens fournis sur la personne dont le crâne est représenté fig. 2. Fille publique, qui suivait les armées dans l'intention de voler impunément. Elle se faisait remarquer, même parmi les femmes de sa profession, par l'extreme déréglement de ses mœurs, sa rapacité et la cruauté qu'elle exercait sur les soldats blessés sur le champ de bataille. Elle fut condamnée à être renfermée à perpétuité dans la prison de Spandau. Cette tête est remarquable pour le grand développement des organes qui portent aux actions criminelles, lorsque ceux des sentimens supérieurs sont très-faibles."

Wellcome Collection 28077i

Vimont, J. Traité de phrénologie humaine et comparée... (1832-35), pl. CXI, fig. 2

Gall, F. Anatomie et physiologie du système nerveux en général... (1810-1919)

Ackerknecht, E.H. & Vallois, H.V. Franz Joseph Gall, inventor of phrenology and his collection (1956)

Authorship as stated on complete impressions of the print: "Alf. Guillard del. Lith. de Engelmann. Dr Vimont dir.t"

Exhibited in ‘Cerebro(s)/Brain(s)’ at CCCB, Barcelona, 27th July – 11th December 2022 and Espacio Fundacion Telefonica, 22nd December – 25th June 2023

Exhibited in "Brains" at Wellcome Collection, London, 29 March 2012 - 17 June 2012

Exhibited in "Brains: the mind as matter, Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), Manchester, 26 July 2013 - 4 January 2014

The title has been taken from printed English wording pasted on the mount, which in turn is part of the the printed legend on the published lithograph

See no. 229 in the list produced by Ackerknecht and Vallois in 'Franz Joseph Gall, inventor of phrenology and his collection' (Wisconsin, 1956). The skull is discussed in Gall's 'Anatomie', vol IV, p. 239 and 266

Ackerknecht (1956) quotes Gall: "Skull. A prostitute following the troops. Remarkable for her low and disolute habits. A passion for stealing. She died in the Spandau jail"-- Gall, vol. IV, pages 239 & 266.