Anorexia Girl, Jenny Schmid

The disproportionately large head of the character in this print reflects the importance artist Jenny Schmid places on the psychological dimensions of the image. Here, the central figure’s hollow eyes, sunken cheekbones, and visible ribs suggest that she struggles with anorexia nervosa, a serious eating disorder. Other details highlight the unrelenting and intrusive thoughts the girl has around body image, weight, and food: ghostly skeletons tantalize and mock her, offering calorie-laden cake and holding a mirror that reflects the girl’s distorted self-perception. She sips from a cup emblazoned with the word “diet” to wash down pills that promise to make her “thin” and “thinner.” In the lower right, a grieving version of the girl clutches her own casket. Schmid’s work provides a devastating look at the intersection of mental and physical health for those struggling with disordered eating.

The disproportionately large head of the character in this print reflects the importance artist Jenny Schmid places on the psychological dimensions of the image. Here, the central figure’s hollow eyes, sunken cheekbones, and visible ribs suggest that she struggles with anorexia nervosa, a serious eating disorder. Other details highlight the unrelenting and intrusive thoughts the girl has around body image, weight, and food: ghostly skeletons tantalize and mock her, offering calorie-laden cake and holding a mirror that reflects the girl’s distorted self-perception. She sips from a cup emblazoned with the word “diet” to wash down pills that promise to make her “thin” and “thinner.” In the lower right, a grieving version of the girl clutches her own casket. Schmid’s work provides a devastating look at the intersection of mental and physical health for those struggling with disordered eating.