Mesmer conducting a baquet in Paris
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Mesmer conducting a baquet in Paris
Franz Anton Mesmer (1734 - 1815), German physician and hypnotist, treating patients in a group, in a session which he called a baquet (named after the large vessel in the middle of the room), at a fashionable salon in Paris
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Media ID 570453
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10000961
1780s 1785 Altered Anton Aristocracy Baquet Franz Gullible Health Hypnosis Hypnotism Hypnotist Mesmer Mesmerism Patient Patients Physician Salon Session Treating Treatment Fashionable Paranormal Upper
EDITORS COMMENTS
In this image from the 1780s, German physician and hypnotist Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) is depicted conducting a baquet session at a fashionable salon in Paris. Mesmer, known for his controversial paranormal healing practices, is seen standing before an upper-class group of patients, all in various states of relaxation. The large, middle vessel in the room, named a baquet, is filled with water and surrounded by magnets, believed to be conduits for Mesmer's "animal magnetism" - a theory that claimed all living beings were interconnected by an invisible force. The aristocracy, often gullible to the latest trends and fads, flocked to Mesmer's sessions in search of health and well-being. The salon's elegant decor, with its ornate furnishings and refined atmosphere, added to the allure of Mesmer's unconventional treatments. During the session, Mesmer would pass his hands over the patients, using his magnetic rods to allegedly transfer his healing energy. The patients, entranced by Mesmer's hypnotic gaze and the soothing sounds of the water in the baquet, would enter a trance-like state. This photograph, taken from the extensive archives of Mary Evans Picture Library, offers a fascinating glimpse into the historical context of Mesmer's mesmerizing baquet sessions. The image transports us back to a time when the boundaries between science, medicine, and the paranormal were blurred, and the aristocracy's fascination with the unknown led them to seek out unconventional methods for improving their health and well-being.
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