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Claw hand in a Renaissance portrait

2018; Elsevier BV; Volume: 17; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s1474-4422(18)30282-5

1474-4465

Alla A. Vein, Alexander Mouret,

Peripheral Nerve Disorders

Agnolo Bronzino (Florence, Italy, 1503–72) was one of the best portraitists of the 16th century. We believe that his portrait of Bartolomeo Panciatichi would be of particular interest for neurologists. Bartolomeo Panciatichi (1507–82), a French diplomat and a poet, eventually settled in Florence.1Brock M Bronzino. Thames & Hudson, London2002Google Scholar Although Bartolomeo Panciatichi does not look young in his portrait, he was only 33 years old by the time Bronzino completed the painting in 1540 (figure). The difference between his right and left hands is quite obvious. The left hand shows the ring and small fingers curled, probably involuntarily, and wasting of the interosseous muscles. This appearance is a characteristic resting hand position, known as claw hand. The ulnar nerve innervates the flexor digitorum profundus and the lumbricals to the ring and small fingers, as well as all the interosseous muscles of the hand. When the ulnar nerve is injured, if attempting to open the hand, the index and middle fingers will extend, while the ring and small fingers will remain flexed at the inter-phalangeal joints but extended at the metacarpal-phalangeal joints.2Moore K Dalley A Agur A Clinically oriented anatomy.7th edn. Lippincott, Philadelphia2014: 768-769Google Scholar Consequently, the most probable neurological diagnosis is an unilateral ulnar pathology. Although Panchiatichi's pathology could, perhaps, be explained by a systemic disease, such as diabetes mellitus, it seems highly unlikely that a patient with a systemic disease could live to the age of 75 years, as Panciatichi did, in 16th century Florence. In the 16th century, anatomy became a popular discipline, and public dissections of executed criminals were must-see events. The epicentre of this phenomenon was in Italy, as anatomical dissections were practiced there with a greater freedom and frequency than elsewhere, and Italy witnessed the emergence of the artist-anatomist. Especially in Florence, the cultural environment favored the development and study of anatomy and arts. Great forerunners of Bronzino were Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), and Raphael Sanzio (1483–1520).3Laurenza D Art and anatomy in Renaissance Italy: images from a scientific revolution.The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin. 2012; 3: 4-48Google Scholar Bronzino, whose real name was Agnolo di Cosimo di Mariano, was born into a poor family in the town of Monticello, outside Florence. He started his art education at the age of 11, first as a pupil of Raffaellino del Garbo, and then in the studio of Jacopo Carucci, better known as Pontormo (1494–1557), where he followed the tradition of studying anatomy. Giorgio Vasari (1511–74) published a biography of Bronzino—his contemporary, and to some extent rival—in 1568. Although on the whole it was not very complimentary, Vasari could not help but appreciate Bronzino's knowledge of anatomy.4Vasari G The lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors, and architects. Modern Library, New York2006Google Scholar In view of the fascination with human anatomy at the time, and Bronzino's reputation as an artist with an eye for detail and a talent for representing the human figure accurately, we propose that the left hand in the portrait of Bartolomeo Panciatichi demonstrates pathology of the ulnar nerve. We declare no competing interests. Neurological disorder? No, MannerismWe read with great interest the Correspondence1 by Alla A Vein and Alexander Mouret about the Renaissance painter, Agnolo Bronzino (1503–72), depicting a claw hand in the portrait of a 16th century notable. The history of art shows that similar pictorial representations are associated with Mannerism, a new artistic style that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance (around 1520). In Italy, Mannerism lasted until about the end of the 16th century and Agnolo Bronzino was one of its most eminent representants. Full-Text PDF