Richard Tennant Cooper

“An unconscious naked man lying on a table being attacked by little demons armed with surgical instruments; symbolising the effect of chloroform on the human body.”, 1912

Richard Tennant Cooper was a medical painter late 19th early 2oth cenury. His paintings combine medicine with fantasy. Skeletons or evil ghosts represent fatal diseases that attack humans and sometimes medicine and science in human form intervene for their salvation.

“Syphilis”, 1912

“A giant claw pierces the breast of a sleeping naked woman, another naked woman swoops down and stabs the claw with a knife ; symbolising science’s fight against cancer.”, c. 1910

Diphtheria Trying to Strangle a Small Child (ca. 1910)

The angel of death (a winged skeletal creature) drops some deadly substances into a river near a town; symbolising typhoid, 1912

A sickly female invalid sits covered up on a balcony overlooking a beautiful view, death (a ghostly skeleton clenching a scythe and an hourglass) is standing next to her, 1912