Hysteria was once the only mental disorder exclusively attributed to women. According to feminist theory, it functioned as a tool to control women’s health, behavior, and expression. Though no longer a medical diagnosis, the label “hysteric” still lingers, often used to describe women who defy patriarchal norms. In this talk, research-based artist Lucy Bink will discuss portraits of women diagnosed with hysteria. Focusing a series of photographs taken between 1876 and 1880 at Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, she will reflect on the negative repercussions of the era’s treatment and the influence these portraits had on Western representations of femininity.