Fleurir et flétrir : dires et savoirs sur la ‘nature’ cachée des femmes dans le discours médical aux XVIe et XVIIe siècles en France

During the Renaissance, representations of the human body were at the heart of social and cultural concerns. The position of Man was essential to understanding the world. Women, in particular, became a subject of study that was both fascinating and complex, even mysterious. Renaissance medicine, which relied heavily on ancient knowledge, approached the theme of the female body through the lenses of age, its functions, and its specific characteristics. This article focuses on the “hidden” nature of women at the three stages of life – youth, adulthood, and old age – as distinguished in the medical treatises of the time. The aim of this article is to analyze how Renaissance physicians conceived of and described women through the different stages of life. We will examine the attitudes of various physicians toward the female body and attempt to present their respective approaches.