In April, art institutions began honoring the medical profession by showcasing works from their collections under the hashtag #MuseumsThankHealthHeroes. As we cheer the heroic efforts of frontline healthcare workers while safely working from home and waiting for a vaccine for COVID-19, artists continue to document our times. Artists have depicted medical advances and health practices throughout history in ways that reflect changing attitudes towards those professions, fear of disease, hope, and empathy. Here are 10 artworks that show how perspective on medicine have changed throughout our history.
