9Ocular Pathology in The Parable of the Blind Leading the Blind and Other Paintings by Pieter Bruegel☆

Abstract 

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c.1525–1569) was a well-known 16th century painter who created many realistic canvases related to daily activities of common people of his time. The degree of realism he utilized in his paintings provided a great deal of information about life in the second half the 16th century. He was very talented not only in detailing the human faces in his paintings, but also in reflecting their states of mind. Bruegel's detail has allowed physicians over the years to critically analyze medical conditions in his paintings. This article summarizes certain ophthalmologic diseases depicted by Bruegel. The paper focuses largely on Bruegel's masterpiece, The Parable of the Blind Leading the Blind, because it is perhaps the painter's best known work, and it depicts six blind men, each appearing to suffer from a different cause of blindness. Some other works and their eye pathologies, such as the Adoration of the Magi and The Yawner, are also discussed.

Keywords:  art, blindness, Bruegel, history