Retrato imaginario de Marie-Sabina, un óleo grande, 132 x 160 cm., basado en un cuadro del siglo 18 de una nena con un trastorno genético de la piel, en una cartela del original reza:
" The true picture of Mary Sabina, who was born Oct. 12th 1736 at Matuna, a Plantation belonging to the Jesuits in the city of Cartagena in America, of two negro slaves named Martiniano and Patrona."
a lo que sustituí TRUE por IMAGINARY y listo. La excusa para generar una imagen de Marie-Sabina y sus encantadoras manchas a la edad adulta. El cuadro terminó siendo también más arcaico, aflamencado, menos neoclásico, lo que en principio no está mal. La composición cambió a narrativa al agregarle la pequeña serpiente, que comparte la condición de Marie-Sabina, descubierta bajo una roca.
.
Detalles
ZEBRA PEOPLE – PIEBALD
Piebald is a word often used to describe animals with large black and white spots, however in the golden age of sideshow – and even long before that – it was used to describe human beings with this unusual skin condition.
Contrary to what one may assume, piebalding is not related to albinism and is instead caused by dominant mutations of an altogether different set of genes in a condition known as VitiligoThese mutations can occur in persons of any color. However, persons of African heritage with vitilligo make up the bulk of sideshow performers – often called leopard or zebra people – and are the subject of most of the medical history – most of that early history is filled with racist statements and ignorance.
The first image depicting ‘piebalding’ in a human being occurred in the pages of Histoire naturelle by Buffon. A lithograph features a young girl – around the age of five – standing amid an exhibit of curiosities with a two-tone body. Buffon never met the child first hand but owned an original painting the lithograph was based upon. The painting was done by an unknown Columbian artist in 1740 and bore the following inscription:
The True Picture of Marie- Sabina who was born Oct 12 1736 at Matuna a Plantation belonging to The Jesuits in the City of Cartegena in America of Two Negro Slaves named Martianiano and Patrona.
Despite this rather detailed pedigree, many naturalist of the day insisted that the child was the result of a white and a negresse and that to preserve the honor of the Society of Jesus it was written that both parents were slaves. Later, that diagnosis was changed, by Buffon, to include the union of a slave and an albino.
Despite the fact that many other children were born with piebald – John Richardson Primrose Bobey (1774, Jamaica), Magdeleine (1783, St. Lucia) George Gratton (1808, St. Vincent) and Lisbey (1905, Honduras) – Buffons odd hypothesis stood as fact for nearly two hundred years.
J Tithonus Pednaud
Author, researcher and an expert of the odd, J. Tithonus Pednaud has been chronicling bizarre history and highlighting the lives of those born exceeding different for over a decade.
http://lucyinglis.com/georgian-london/the-variegated-damsel-and-the-beautiful-spott/
The Variegated Damsel and The Beautiful Spotted Boy
By Lucy Inglis November 27, 2009
On the 12th of October 1736, on a Jesuit plantation in Cartagena, Columbia a little girl names Mary Sabina was born to the two negro slaves Patrona and Martiniano.
José Gumilla was a priest in charge of the sick on the plantation, and when Mary Sabina was about six months old, he happened to see her when she was with her mother. He discussed the child’s extraordinary appearance with Patrona. Mary Sabina had piebaldism, resulting in the astonishing spotted effect visible in the two portraits of her in the gallery. Patrona put it down to the fact that she had a pet dog of black and white colouring of which she had become fond whilst pregnant. Gumilla recommended Patrona guard her baby very carefully lest some ignorant person cast the evil eye upon it.
Mary Sabina’s fame rapidly spread. Piebaldism is a form of partial albinism, usually without the attendant eye problems and skin thickening, rendering piebald individuals both extraordinary to look at, and rather beautiful. Particularly fascinating, and striking in black piebald individuals are the contrasting patches of black and white hair. Mary Sabina was undoubtedly a very pretty little girl, as the two images show, but her ultimate fate is unknown. During her life she became something of a local celebrity in Cartagena, and the owners of one of the ‘English factories’ there sent back her portrait to London, where it now hangs in the Royal College of Surgeons Hall. She was used as an illustration for Victorian lectures on partial albinism where she was dubbed, ‘Our Little Variegated Damsel’.
It was only a matter of time before some enterprising individual provided London and its insatiable love of freakery with a piebald individual of its own. In 1808, a little piebald boy was born on St Vincent in the Caribbean. George Alexander Gratton was the child of two black islanders who shared the surname of Gratton (possibly two slaves on the plantation of a man named Gratton, or they may have been married and free). As a baby he was apparently shown to spectators for a dollar per person, but at 15 months old he arrived in Bristol, where he ended up on the care of Marlow-born showman John Richardson, who had apparently paid a thousand guineas for George. The details of this part of his story are hazy enough to be verging on the anecdotal, but there can be no doubt that George ended up in Richardson’s care, and that Richardson had George baptized at Newington Church in Surrey on the 22nd of July, 1810.
George was shown throughout London, and England for the next few years as ‘The Beautiful Spotted Boy’, or the ‘Spotted Negro of Renown’. The piebald dog theory (no doubt drawn from Patrona’s own 80 years before) makes an appearance in the pictures of George, who looks to be a lovely baby. The similarity in the markings on his body show it is the same boy. He died in 1813, of ‘a gathering’ about the jaw, which perhaps was a facial tumour his condition predisposed him to. Richardson had done well out of his purchase, and if his treatment of George in death mirrored his treatment of the boy in life, perhaps little George Alexander Gratton’s short existence was not so very bad: Richardson had George buried in Richardson’s own plot at the All Saints Church on The Causeway in Marlow, and had an attractive and dignified headstone fashioned for him. He was later buried with George, and his own headstone placed behind that of his ‘Beautiful Spotted Boy’, where they remain today.
The Variegated Damsel and The Beautiful Spotted Boy
By Lucy Inglis November 27, 2009
On the 12th of October 1736, on a Jesuit plantation in Cartagena, Columbia a little girl names Mary Sabina was born to the two negro slaves Patrona and Martiniano.
José Gumilla was a priest in charge of the sick on the plantation, and when Mary Sabina was about six months old, he happened to see her when she was with her mother. He discussed the child’s extraordinary appearance with Patrona. Mary Sabina had piebaldism, resulting in the astonishing spotted effect visible in the two portraits of her in the gallery. Patrona put it down to the fact that she had a pet dog of black and white colouring of which she had become fond whilst pregnant. Gumilla recommended Patrona guard her baby very carefully lest some ignorant person cast the evil eye upon it.
Mary Sabina’s fame rapidly spread. Piebaldism is a form of partial albinism, usually without the attendant eye problems and skin thickening, rendering piebald individuals both extraordinary to look at, and rather beautiful. Particularly fascinating, and striking in black piebald individuals are the contrasting patches of black and white hair. Mary Sabina was undoubtedly a very pretty little girl, as the two images show, but her ultimate fate is unknown. During her life she became something of a local celebrity in Cartagena, and the owners of one of the ‘English factories’ there sent back her portrait to London, where it now hangs in the Royal College of Surgeons Hall. She was used as an illustration for Victorian lectures on partial albinism where she was dubbed, ‘Our Little Variegated Damsel’.
It was only a matter of time before some enterprising individual provided London and its insatiable love of freakery with a piebald individual of its own. In 1808, a little piebald boy was born on St Vincent in the Caribbean. George Alexander Gratton was the child of two black islanders who shared the surname of Gratton (possibly two slaves on the plantation of a man named Gratton, or they may have been married and free). As a baby he was apparently shown to spectators for a dollar per person, but at 15 months old he arrived in Bristol, where he ended up on the care of Marlow-born showman John Richardson, who had apparently paid a thousand guineas for George. The details of this part of his story are hazy enough to be verging on the anecdotal, but there can be no doubt that George ended up in Richardson’s care, and that Richardson had George baptized at Newington Church in Surrey on the 22nd of July, 1810.
George was shown throughout London, and England for the next few years as ‘The Beautiful Spotted Boy’, or the ‘Spotted Negro of Renown’. The piebald dog theory (no doubt drawn from Patrona’s own 80 years before) makes an appearance in the pictures of George, who looks to be a lovely baby. The similarity in the markings on his body show it is the same boy. He died in 1813, of ‘a gathering’ about the jaw, which perhaps was a facial tumour his condition predisposed him to. Richardson had done well out of his purchase, and if his treatment of George in death mirrored his treatment of the boy in life, perhaps little George Alexander Gratton’s short existence was not so very bad: Richardson had George buried in Richardson’s own plot at the All Saints Church on The Causeway in Marlow, and had an attractive and dignified headstone fashioned for him. He was later buried with George, and his own headstone placed behind that of his ‘Beautiful Spotted Boy’, where they remain today.
Supernaturalearth.myfreeforum.org Forum Index -> Freaks
Piebald is a word often used to describe animals with large black and white spots, however in the golden age of sideshow – and even long before that - it was used to describe human beings with this unusual skin condition.
Contrary to what one may assume, piebalding is not related to albinism and is instead caused by dominant mutations of an altogether different set of genes in a condition known as Vitilligo These mutations can occur in persons of any color. However, persons of African heritage with vitilligo make up the bulk of sideshow performers – often called leopard or zebra people - and are the subject of most of the medical history – most of that early history is filled with racist statements and ignorance.
The first image depicting 'piebalding' in a human being occurred in the pages of Histoire naturelle by Buffon. A lithograph features a young girl – around the age of five – standing amid an exhibit of curiosities with a two-tone body. Buffon never met the child first hand but owned an original painting the lithograph was based upon. The painting was done by an unknown Columbian artist in 1740 and bore the following inscription:
The True Picture of Marie- Sabina who was born Oct 12 1736 at Matuna a Plantation belonging to The Jesuits in the City of Cartegena in America of Two Negro Slaves named Martianiano and Patrona.
Despite this rather detailed pedigree, many naturalist of the day insisted that the child was the result of a white and a negresse and that to preserve the honor of the Society of Jesus it was written that both parents were slaves. Later, that diagnosis was changed, by Buffon, to include the union of a slave and an albino.
Despite the fact that many other children were born with piebald – John Richardson Primrose Bobey (1774, Jamaica), Magdeleine (1783, St. Lucia) George Gratton (1808, St. Vincent) and Lisbey (1905, Honduras) – Buffons odd hypothesis stood as fact for nearly two hundred years
.
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/piebaldismPiebald is a word often used to describe animals with large black and white spots, however in the golden age of sideshow – and even long before that - it was used to describe human beings with this unusual skin condition.
Contrary to what one may assume, piebalding is not related to albinism and is instead caused by dominant mutations of an altogether different set of genes in a condition known as Vitilligo These mutations can occur in persons of any color. However, persons of African heritage with vitilligo make up the bulk of sideshow performers – often called leopard or zebra people - and are the subject of most of the medical history – most of that early history is filled with racist statements and ignorance.
The first image depicting 'piebalding' in a human being occurred in the pages of Histoire naturelle by Buffon. A lithograph features a young girl – around the age of five – standing amid an exhibit of curiosities with a two-tone body. Buffon never met the child first hand but owned an original painting the lithograph was based upon. The painting was done by an unknown Columbian artist in 1740 and bore the following inscription:
The True Picture of Marie- Sabina who was born Oct 12 1736 at Matuna a Plantation belonging to The Jesuits in the City of Cartegena in America of Two Negro Slaves named Martianiano and Patrona.
Despite this rather detailed pedigree, many naturalist of the day insisted that the child was the result of a white and a negresse and that to preserve the honor of the Society of Jesus it was written that both parents were slaves. Later, that diagnosis was changed, by Buffon, to include the union of a slave and an albino.
Despite the fact that many other children were born with piebald – John Richardson Primrose Bobey (1774, Jamaica), Magdeleine (1783, St. Lucia) George Gratton (1808, St. Vincent) and Lisbey (1905, Honduras) – Buffons odd hypothesis stood as fact for nearly two hundred years
.
What is piebaldism?
Piebaldism is a condition characterized by the absence of cells called melanocytes in certain areas of the skin and hair. Melanocytes produce the pigment melanin, which contributes to hair, eye, and skin color. The absence of melanocytes leads to patches of skin and hair that are lighter than normal. Approximately 90 percent of affected individuals have a white section of hair near their front hairline (a white forelock). The eyelashes, the eyebrows, and the skin under the forelock may also be unpigmented.
People with piebaldism usually have other unpigmented patches of skin, typically appearing symmetrically on both sides of the body. There may be spots or patches of pigmented skin within or around the borders of the unpigmented areas.
In most cases, the unpigmented areas are present at birth and do not increase in size or number. The unpigmented patches are at increased risk of sunburn and skin cancer related to excessive sun exposure. Some people with piebaldism are self-conscious about the appearance of the unpigmented patches, which may be more noticeable in darker-skinned people. Aside from these potential issues, this condition has no effect on the health of the affected individual.
How common is piebaldism?
The prevalence of piebaldism is unknown.
What genes are related to piebaldism?
Piebaldism can be caused by mutations in the KIT and SNAI2 genes. Piebaldism may also be a feature of other conditions, such as Waardenburg syndrome; these conditions have other genetic causes and additional signs and symptoms.
The KIT gene provides instructions for making a protein that is involved in signaling within cells. KIT protein signaling is important for the development of certain cell types, including melanocytes. The KITgene mutations responsible for piebaldism lead to a nonfunctional KIT protein. The loss of KIT signaling is thought to disrupt the growth and division (proliferation) and movement (migration) of melanocytes during development, resulting in patches of skin that lack pigmentation.
The SNAI2 gene (often called SLUG) provides instructions for making a protein called snail 2. Research indicates that the snail 2 protein is required during embryonic growth for the development of cells called neural crest cells. Neural crest cells migrate from the developing spinal cord to specific regions in the embryo and give rise to many tissues and cell types, including melanocytes. The snail 2 protein probably plays a role in the formation and survival of melanocytes. SNAI2 gene mutations that cause piebaldism probably reduce the production of the snail 2 protein. Shortage of the snail 2 protein may disrupt the development of melanocytes in certain areas of the skin and hair, causing the patchy loss of pigment.
Piebaldism is sometimes mistaken for another condition called vitiligo, which also causes unpigmented patches of skin. People are not born with vitiligo, but acquire it later in life, and it is not caused by specific genetic mutations. For unknown reasons, in people with vitiligo the immune system appears to damage the melanocytes in the skin.
Read more about the KIT and SNAI2 genes.
Read more about vitiligo and Waardenburg syndrome.
How do people inherit piebaldism?
This condition is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder.
In most cases, an affected person has one parent with the condition.
