Risk of overdiagnosis in iconodiagnosis: the example of Rachel Furtado's portrait

Abstract

The practice of iconodiagnostics requires careful observation, as well as knowledge of the biographic details of the subject and the artist's style, to avoid making excessive diagnoses. We have analyzed the portraits of Rachel Furtado and her husband from the 19th century displayed at the Museum of Art and History of Judaism in Paris. A thorough examination and knowledge of their way of life allows us to distinguish pigment disorders from the painter's stylistic effects and avoid diagnostic pitfalls.