Sick Girls and Sick Titles

Abstract

This article examines two paintings of sick girls by the Danish painters Michael Ancher and Ejnar Nielsen and asks whether it makes sense at all to discuss certain diseases when none of the artists diagnosed their paintings of sick or convalescent girls with a particular disease. Though these paintings of sick girls differ in the way they are composed, the titles of the works vary very little, the greatest difference often being whether the painting is titled “The Sick Girl” or “The Convalescent.” But does the title of the work affect the viewers' perception of it, and does the title always make sense when one looks at the painting?