Exploring the intersection of art and medical history
The Pulse of Art program harnesses the power of art to hone observational skills, enhance empathy, illuminate the course of medical history, and respect others’ perspectives in the face of ambiguity.
The Pulse of Art is a program developed by Barry Coller, MD and Bobbi Coller, PhD that integrates the history of art with the history of medicine.
Goals of The Pulse of Art Program
Increase Observation Skills
Increase observation skills by focusing on works of art that offer rich visual information.
Improve Descriptive Skills
Improve descriptive skills through verbal expression of the formal, narrative, and emotional elements of the art viewed.
Enhance Empathy
Enhance empathy by examining the experience of illness and range of human conditions as expressed through the powerful and personal vision of artists.
Provide Historical Context
Relate art to the cultural, scientific, and medical context of the age in which it was produced, providing an awareness of the change in medical knowledge and therapies over time.
Share a Variety of Interpretations
Recognize the possibility of various interpretations and several equally valid readings of a single work of art.
Build Teamwork
Analyze by working in teams to gain insight into the meaning of a work of art, a process akin to the way physicians and other health care professionals work as a team to optimize a patient’s care.
About the Collers
Bobbi Coller, PhD
Barry Coller, MD
The Collers co-teach the Pulse of Art program and have led a yearly course at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai since 2009. In addition, they have delivered presentations at the Rockefeller University and Stony Brook University. They have also taught in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s on-line educational program.