The gallery entry is a portrait of Johann Christian Reil, who was a german psychologist. Reil lived shortly before the publication of Jane Eyre. His contributions to the field of psychology were signfiicant, because it hadn't necessarily been considered a science prior to his publication of Rhapsodies About Applying the Methods of Treatment to Disorganized Spirits. The essay helped to make a distinction between philosophy and psychology, which had been conflated before. Reil's developments contributed to the psychoanalytic theory in literature that Freud's discoveries later built on, particularly when it comes to recognizing that the mind can end up "broken" and become "fixed" after some sort of intervention. The ethic of these interventions from this time that Reil may have been in favor of have been challenged in the modern day, and rightfully so. The gallery entry helps to make a connection to Johann Christian Reil beyond his discoveries and publications.
Citation:
Schochow, Maximilian, and Florian Steger. “Johann Christian Reil (1759–1813): Pioneer of Psychiatry, City Physician, and Advocate of Public Medical Care.” American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 171, no. 4, 1 Apr. 2014, pp. 403–403., https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.13081151.
Photo citation:
Dähling, H., and F.W. Bollinger. “Johann Christian Reil (1759–1813), German Physician.” Porträtsammlung Berliner Hochschullehrer, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 1811, https://www.sammlungen.hu-berlin.de/objekte/portraetsammlung-berliner-h…. Accessed 21 Oct. 2021.