Paula Modersohn-Becker, the challenges of pregnancy and the weight of tradition

Giorgina B Piccoli1, Scott L Karakas2
1SS Nephrology, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, TO, Italy
2Office of Curriculum and Instruction, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, USA

Tóm tắt

Paula Modersohn-Becker, widely considered to have been one of the most important independent Expressionist painters of the early twentieth century, was thirty-one years old when she gave birth to her first child. Following the then-common practice of putting women to bed rest for two-four weeks after delivery, she died of massive pulmonary embolism when she was first allowed to stand, eighteen days after giving birth. Paula had foreseen her death at a young age and was apprehensive about her pregnancy, yet she painted herself as pregnant in her best known self-portrait, thus underlining the importance of the pregnancy in her life. In the light of knowledge available at the time, the authors present a brief discussion of the life and death of Paula Modersohn-Becker as a reflection on the potential dangers of blindly following conventional wisdom in the medical profession.

Tài liệu tham khảo

Bohlmann-Modersohn M: Paula Modersohn-Becker: eine Biographie mit Briefen. 1995, 280-Berlin: Albrecht Knaus Nizza M: Manuale pratico di ostetricia e ginecologia. 1961, 145-150. Torino: Minerva medica Williams JW: Obstetrics: A Text-Book for the Use of Students and Practitioners. 1903, 312-New York: D Appleton Küstner O: Ist einer gesunden Wöchnerin eine protrahirte Bettruhe dienlich?. Verhandlungen der deutschen Gesellschaft für Gynäkologie. 1899, 8: 525-535. King A: Paula Modersohn-Becker. 2009, 7-9. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club Rilke RM, Mitchell S: Rainer Maria Rilke's "Requiem for a Friend.". 2005, Alli, A: ParaTheatrical Research, http://www.paratheatrical.com/requiemtext.html Perry G: Paula Modersohn-Becker: Her Life and Work. 1979, 2-New York: Harper & Row Modersohn-Becker P, Busch G, Reinken LV: Paula Modersohn-Becker, the Letters and Journals. 1983, New York: Taplinger Ibid.: 384. Ibid.: 118. Tromp M, Ravelli AC, Reitsma JB, Bonsel GJ, Mol BW: Increasing maternal age at first pregnancy planning: health outcomes and associated costs. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2010 Ibid.: 195. Perry: 134-136. Modersohn-Becker, Busch, Reinken: 426-427. Morris D: Babywatching. 1992, 7-12. New York: Crown Publishers Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development: Back to Sleep Public Education Campaign. 2010, 6/28/10 [cited 10/18/10].http://www.nichd.nih.gov/SIDS