Nineteenth-Century Phrenological Conceptions of Personality: A Study Based on the Pseudoscientific Functions of Illustration in Medical History

Abstract

The study of cranial structure and aesthetic characteristics through phrenology in the nineteenth century, and the significance attributed to it in revealing aspects of human personality, provides a rationale for examining the functions of phrenology within the realm of art. The present study aimed to explore how the morphological study of the skull in phrenology could lead to the identification of an individual’s personality traits, while highlighting its significance in demonstrating the pivotal role of art in documenting the shortcomings of phrenology and paving the way for less invasive medical methods. Furthermore, an examination of the influential dimensions of scientific illustrations associated with phrenology reveals, more clearly than ever, the essential and significant role of scientific illustration in medicine, neurology, and psychiatry, particularly in conveying the concepts and details of the craniological approach, addressing issues related to the treatment of cerebral disorders, and depicting various brain-surgical techniques. Such illustrations also facilitated the faster dissemination of specialized concepts from different scientific fields to the general public. This study employed a descriptive-qualitative methodology, involving a comparative analysis of 50 images and 40 texts concerning phrenology. The images were selected through stratified purposive sampling and were subsequently coded and validated for data analysis. Moreover, interpretive content analysis was employed to analyze the textual data, with the aim of thematically categorizing key and recurrent concepts. Given that the aesthetic valuation once attached to the practice of skull elongation has gradually lost its significance in the contemporary era, an examination of the scientific visualizing practices associated with phrenology highlights the valuable educational role of art in reviving and conveying concepts related to nineteenth-century medical science.