Medical and museum collaboration for iconodiagnosis in dermatology: the example of the Musée de Fécamp

Abstract

Introduction

A group of international doctors and scientists with a passion for art history has established the International Society of Iconodiagnosis (ISI) to advance research and awareness in iconodiagnosis. ISI initiated the collaborative project "SKIN & ART," focusing on identifying dermatological cases of iconodiagnosis through an unprecedented partnership between the medical and museum communities.

Materials and methods

A call for research proposals was published on the international website La Tribune de l’Art. The Musée de Fécamp in France was the first museum to respond, granting access to its permanent collection and to all non-exhibited artworks of the museum’s storages.

Results

The collaboration between the medical team, which analyzed visible dermatological lesions, and the museum conservation team, which provided insight into artists, paintings, and local archives, led to the identification of four cases of dermatological iconodiagnosis only in the museum storages: three nevi and one case of seborrheic keratosis.

Conclusion

Our goal is to help replicate this type of bilateral collaboration in other international museums to uncover further iconodiagnosis cases and establish an open resource database for researchers, doctors, and art historians.