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boscaresque — No Cause, No Cure

Published: 2011-05-31 17:46:40 +0000 UTC; Views: 2707; Favourites: 46; Downloads: 21
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Description First of all, should I put a mature content warning on this?

I'm sort of a geek for medical history, if only for the fact that it reminds me just how much better off we are today than we were in the past. The scene here depicts the practice of bloodletting, which was the most common medical procedure performed by doctors from antiquity until the mid-1800s. The idea was that the body was made of four different "humors"--blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm--that controlled everything from personality to health. If a person's humors were out of balance, they got sick. So bloodletting was meant to relieve the body of "excess" blood and restore balance to the humors. From a modern medical standpoint I think we can all tell why this was a bad idea...

My victim here is colonial Maryland, of course. The time frame is mid-1600s. At this time, diseases like malaria and smallpox were very prevalent among the colonists of the mid-Atlantic. Poor little Anna was a very sickly child. Although she rarely caught any actual disease, the collective negative health of the colonists had a huge effect on her own health. Obviously, the physicians of St. Mary's City were baffled!

The woman here is named Agnes Talbot, and she served as Anna's nurse and mother-like figure throughout the early years of Anna's life. Technically, Anna's "father" was Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, but seeing as he never visited North America, she never knew him well. Anna lived in the households of the acting governors, but they changed so often that she never felt much stability there. Agnes Talbot and her husband, Edward, effectively raised little Anna on their own. This situation was obviously complicated when they grew old and Anna remained a little girl. When Agnes died in 1703, Anna was absolutely inconsolable for weeks. Unfortunately, that's the sort of thing young Anna had to learn to deal with quite frequently.

I spent so effin long on this one, lol. Please check out some of the details...

If you have any questions, just ask.

And if you want me to do something historically-themed with your state, I'm taking requests.
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Comments: 77

Tiggidou [2015-10-22 20:37:24 +0000 UTC]

since there's blood coming out of the poor young girl's wrist, I should say?, then yes..but the art piece is, I believe, is amazing and would give an emotional appeal (because of the history background you found).

But the whole entire thing is well drawn.

I feel very bad for those who lived in colonial Maryland and how they attempted to survive some of the bad sicknesses..don't you?

But yeah. This is really great (even though it's sad..not the art, but the historical background)!

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Merry-Cavalier [2012-08-14 01:49:39 +0000 UTC]

This is an absolutely amazing picture Wonderful work! I love the concept and how you carried it out here, though I very much think it needs a mature content, solely for the reason that a little girl is having her blood drained from her wrist. I realize bloodletting is (was) a normal, thought-to-be helpful activity when one was sick, but even so, it was, and is, graphic, as seen here.

Once again, thank you for this great image!!

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boscaresque In reply to Merry-Cavalier [2012-08-14 02:10:08 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much.

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TheCowsMoo [2011-12-22 07:55:10 +0000 UTC]

Ah, blood letting I have no idea how they thought that could've helped.

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boscaresque In reply to TheCowsMoo [2011-12-23 05:19:03 +0000 UTC]

I don't know either. You'd think that at some point in the thousands of years before modern medicine someone would have been like "hey guys, maybe this doesn't actually work."

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zhaomeng [2011-11-14 06:37:08 +0000 UTC]

i like your use of warm, fuzzy colours to describe a rather tragic moment. full of hope, yet the hope was misguided.

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boscaresque In reply to zhaomeng [2011-11-14 06:39:46 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much for the feedback.

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Pianocanival [2011-09-22 06:47:44 +0000 UTC]

Also, I forgot to congratulate you for this work of Art. It's really good ^^

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boscaresque In reply to Pianocanival [2011-09-22 06:51:53 +0000 UTC]

Thanks.

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Pianocanival [2011-09-22 06:46:56 +0000 UTC]

I really like the concept and the effort you put in this picture. I don't think it should be with mature content, though.

I like the limited palette color, it gives that sense of antique, as it feels it is telling a story of old times (as it actually is). The thing I like the most is the expression of the faces and all the care you did in those. In general, the anatomy and placement of the bodies is pretty correct. The only thing I feel slightly odd is the left arm of the lady in blue (which by the artist comments is Agnes).

The only two things I can suggest something to work on are: 1) perpective. It's not wrong, verticals are verticals, the vanishing points connect with the structure of the image and the horizon. But, they are too near within each other. Bear in mind that, usually, as objects grow apart from the horizon, the vanishing points in them grow apart, too. 2) The color range. As I really like the palette and the base colors with their hues. I think you can add a little bit more contrast using slightly darker colors for shadows and cast shadows and use more saturated colors for lights (or slightly whiter). Of course, not taking that into extreme, but, you get the idea ^^.

Really hope it helps.

Cheers.

=Pianocanival

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boscaresque In reply to Pianocanival [2011-09-22 06:51:44 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much for your insightful critique!

I do need to work on perspective. It's one of those things I don't get a lot of practice with, so I should I probably do more of it.

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Pianocanival In reply to boscaresque [2011-09-22 06:53:52 +0000 UTC]

My pleasure

Yeah, me neither, it sounds simple in theory but in practice is much more complex

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EclecticCalico [2011-08-06 12:45:06 +0000 UTC]

Wonderful! But bloodletting made the patients so peaceful and their eyes so glowing! I'll bet it cooled that fever right down too! hahaha I love it! And how about some pig dung to rub into that wound after she's bled? hehe Yeah, we've come a long way... This is such a dramatic and expressive work.

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boscaresque In reply to EclecticCalico [2011-08-06 17:03:53 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

Yep, we've come so far.

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appasmomo [2011-08-03 01:12:07 +0000 UTC]

this is lovely! historically accurate i love your attention to detail, the one detail i really like is how anna's legs are twisting about clearly showing the agony she's going through with the procedure. i'm very interested in medical history myself since i'm an emt but i didnt learn about the four humors til today when i saw history channel's seven deadly sin program on sloth.... my day came full circle ALRIGHT!! XD

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boscaresque In reply to appasmomo [2011-08-03 01:14:27 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

Haha don't you love it when that happens?

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appasmomo In reply to boscaresque [2011-08-03 01:58:21 +0000 UTC]

yup it makes it feel like there was a purpose to waking up this morning XD lol

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Anante [2011-06-12 05:14:45 +0000 UTC]

Wow. I actually cringed looking at this! But I'm just squeamish---this looks great! All the details are really cool. And just the concept/story behind this is awesome.

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boscaresque In reply to Anante [2011-06-12 05:23:39 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much!

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hareno [2011-06-03 18:51:39 +0000 UTC]

Awww, poor Maryland. ;_; I remember learning about the humors in AP European history and how they let blood to bring balance back to the humors. I bet they were baffled at her rather extraordinary health. XD ( she is a state embodiment after all! )

I love all the detailing in this, from the clothing wrinkles to the aged, cracked-paint, on the Virgin Mary above the bed. you certainly showed that she's religious too from the cross she's clutching to her chest.

Very well done, and I would certainly love to see more historical pieces for sure! 8D I guess if you're taking em, it would be fun to see something with young VA and Thomas Jefferson. 8 )

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boscaresque In reply to hareno [2011-06-04 00:26:01 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much!

Yay Thomas Jefferson! I'm totally on that...

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hareno In reply to boscaresque [2011-06-10 00:03:26 +0000 UTC]

Youre welcome! 8 )

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Amoebe98 [2011-06-03 18:42:38 +0000 UTC]

Awesome drawing! Instant fav

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boscaresque In reply to Amoebe98 [2011-06-04 00:25:15 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much!

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Amoebe98 In reply to boscaresque [2011-06-04 07:13:55 +0000 UTC]

No problem

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Angeliserrare [2011-06-01 19:56:41 +0000 UTC]

That's an amazing piece of work! Ooh, archaic medicinal practices can kind of creep you out, when you read about them though. I remember some early Christian "remedies" for what ailed you. >.<'''~Squeamish!

You did this quite tastefully though.

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boscaresque In reply to Angeliserrare [2011-06-01 21:43:55 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much!

It definitely freaks me out to read about some of the things they did back in the day. Makes me so glad to live in this century.

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EntirelyInsane [2011-05-31 23:48:39 +0000 UTC]

Generally, I'm sort of a "return to the old-fashioned ways!" sort of chap...but I must say, thank goodness for modern medicine. (;

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boscaresque In reply to EntirelyInsane [2011-05-31 23:52:13 +0000 UTC]

Indeed. I love history but I also love my modern conveniences like plumbing and antibiotics.

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EntirelyInsane In reply to boscaresque [2011-06-01 13:00:22 +0000 UTC]

(: Ah, yes, of course. Indoor plumbing is a blessing, too.
And the availability of information. We can't forget that one.

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boscaresque In reply to EntirelyInsane [2011-06-01 17:35:27 +0000 UTC]

Indeed, although I know what I would do if I didn't have the internet, it would be so strange. It's something I really take for granted.

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EntirelyInsane In reply to boscaresque [2011-06-04 18:11:19 +0000 UTC]

I guess we all do. Interesting, isn't it?

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EntirelyInsane [2011-05-31 23:48:39 +0000 UTC]

Generally, I'm sort of a "return to the old-fashioned ways!" sort of chap...but I must say, thank goodness for modern medicine. (;

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Mizulyn [2011-05-31 23:21:17 +0000 UTC]

Oh my gosh ; A ;

This is so sad...but it really does make me feel thankful for what we have now! Also the details here are amazing, the style and the coloring is also fantastic! It really sets the mood for the picture!

Wonderful work as always

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boscaresque In reply to Mizulyn [2011-05-31 23:53:44 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much!

I kind of feel guilty...I have way too much fun torturing Anna.

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kingdomdisney [2011-05-31 20:49:38 +0000 UTC]

*shudders* Yes, this DOES prove how much better off we are...

Very nicely done! I have to say, though, if you do decide to mature this (not that I think it needs it) please make it so we underage peoples can see it

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boscaresque In reply to kingdomdisney [2011-05-31 23:55:15 +0000 UTC]

Despite all the problems we face now, we're quite lucky to live in the 21st century, I think.

Don't worry! I don't think I'll put a warning on this.

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GryGirl8 [2011-05-31 20:14:12 +0000 UTC]

I don't thin it needs a mature content warning, I've seen worse without one.

This piece is so great! The expressions, attention to detail- just so much is amazing!

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boscaresque In reply to GryGirl8 [2011-05-31 23:55:24 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much!

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slategreen [2011-05-31 19:14:33 +0000 UTC]

And a couple hundred years later, Samuel Hahnemann said "there never was a drop too much blood in the human body." I'm sure bloodletting to treat a fever or inflammation gave temporary relief, though, until it returned and the patient then had heart palpitations on top of it. Poor kid. This is a really interesting piece.. I love historical scenes like this. Have you done Vermont yet? ;)

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boscaresque In reply to slategreen [2011-05-31 23:57:04 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

Thank goodness they figured it out eventually.

I haven't done Vermont yet. I've only been there once so I'm not as familiar with it as some of the others. But I do have some ideas.

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slategreen In reply to boscaresque [2011-06-04 04:12:01 +0000 UTC]

Well, I enjoy reading about your personified States in general. I shall patiently wait for good ol' VT. :3

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boscaresque In reply to slategreen [2011-06-04 04:39:13 +0000 UTC]

I'm glad to hear that.

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yesthisismak [2011-05-31 19:03:55 +0000 UTC]

Oh god that's emotional! Maybe you could try something with Massachusetts...

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boscaresque In reply to yesthisismak [2011-05-31 23:57:36 +0000 UTC]

Thanks.

Anything in particular you want to see with Massachusetts?

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yesthisismak In reply to boscaresque [2011-06-01 00:04:23 +0000 UTC]

Hmmm well MA has a bunch of history, but if we're sticking with the dark theme, then the salem witch trials.

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boscaresque In reply to yesthisismak [2011-06-01 00:07:20 +0000 UTC]

Ooh. Hell yes, I've been wanting to do that for awhile.

What version of MA do you want? STP?

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yesthisismak In reply to boscaresque [2011-06-01 00:07:53 +0000 UTC]

Umm What is STP? Sorry I'm a fail XD

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boscaresque In reply to yesthisismak [2011-06-01 00:19:28 +0000 UTC]

lol it's okay. It's short for "State-tan project," a group I'm in where everyone has different personified versions of the states. It's pretty fun.

But okay...Salem witch trials. That could be very interesting. Do you have a particular scene in mind?

Do I ask too many questions?

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yesthisismak In reply to boscaresque [2011-06-01 00:22:24 +0000 UTC]

No you don't, oh andyou can use whatever MA, but preferably a male. Umm, IDK Maybe showing him watching the flames or something along those lines.

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