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Introduction and Aim of the Study: This contribution explores the many pathologies that plague the existence of the renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) and the impact they had on her character., Methodology and Results: Moving from a mere pathobiographical reassessment, this note, through historico-medical research, highlights the patient-physician relationship that the painter developed with Dr. Leo Eloesser (1881-1976) and underlines the role this form of friendship may play in patients' wellbeing., Conclusion: The special friendship between the artist/patient, Frida Kahlo, and her physician, Dr. Eloesser, shows that medicine is not just the sum of diagnoses and therapies but a much more dynamic and complex process involving trust and humane qualities., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The 17th century was a time of scientific discovery in Europe. Leading academic centers provided the general population with an opportunity to view anatomic dissections of human bodies. Rather than portray idealized versions of individuals, Dutch painters were committed to accurately representing their models. This was true for Johannes Vermeer. The 2023 exhibition of Vermeer's paintings at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam provided an unprecedented opportunity to observe 28 of his 37 existing paintings simultaneously in person. Here the authors suggest that in at least eight paintings a visibly pregnant woman is present. Vermeer's wife was pregnant or lactating most of the time during their 22-year marriage. Further, evidence of specific medical findings and congenital anomalies such as polydactyly, ectrodactyly, alopecia, kyphosis, and hyperthyroidism were observed in the paintings. These have not been previously reported in the medical or art history literature., (© 2024 The Authors. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.)