Did Rubens' Delilah have Mondor's disease?

BACKGROUND

Rubens was a master of European Baroque painting and a practitioner of realism. A female model for his paintings of Samson and Delilah and the Three Graces has apparent right-sided breast abnormalities.

METHOD AND RESULTS

Examination of the images shows persistent changes. The clinical scenario suggests Mondor's disease, possibly related to rheumatoid arthritis or chronic infection.

DISCUSSION

Visible breast changes such as distortion, skin retraction and nipple deviation warrant concern and require investigation.