Digital Gallery

The title page of English Renaissance scholar and cleric Robert Burton’s (1577–1640) Anatomy of Melancholy includes small images representing different kinds of melancholy discussed in the book. Anatomy of Melancholy outlines different types of melancholy, presented according to humoral theory. As a minister, Burton viewed melancholy as a spiritual affliction, and one specific type of “religious melancholy” was made worse by leading a sinful life. Although the book was a response to the debates within English religion during the 1620s–1630s, Burton’s primary concern is curing religious melancholy. He advised prayer as a solution for those suffering from the illness. Later writers were influenced by his combination of scholarship, humor, and creativity.

• Digital Collection