Museum Meanderings XII: E-Museum Jacob Lawrence Paintings and Rehabilitation Medicine. (February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Altschuler, Eric L.; Altschuler, Daniel L.; Morgan, Crystal N.
• Is Part Of: American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation. Volume 102:Number 2(2023)
• Page Start: 166
• Page End: 168
• Publication Date: 2023-02
• Subjects: Jacob Lawrence: Rehabilitation Medicine -- Art History -- Museum; Rehabilitation -- Periodicals; Medicine, Physical -- Periodicals; 617.062
• DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002133
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0894-9115

Abstract

Abstract: In the April 1930 issue of the journal, Founding Editor-in-Chief William Rush Dunton, Jr, MD, initiated a new series: Museum Meanderings. Eleven installments of the series ran intermittently until December 1931. Here, a 12th installment, an e-museum "tour" of paintings by the great American artist Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000) relevant to rehabilitation medicine, is offered. In particular, his Occupational Therapy No. 1 (1949) is a most thought-provoking and inspiring masterpiece. The painting depicts five women performing various sewing activities with space in the painting brilliantly divided. The painting has been discussed by art critics, but it has not been appreciated that all the women appear actually to be the same person! Thus, the painting shows the stages or cycle of rehabilitation. Echoing Rush Dunton's thoughts in 1930, we invite further contributions to the series.