Dermatological iconodiagnosis transfers medical expertise in diagnosis to the analysis of skin abnormalities visible in artistic representations. Initially confined to works exhibited in permanent collections, this practice is now benefiting from the rise of digitization, which has expanded its field of study to include pieces kept in museum reserves and now accessible online. In 2023, a learned society dedicated to this discipline was created: the International Society of Iconodiagnosis (ISI).

A corpus of pictorial works from the Fabre Museum's digitized database was compiled using a methodology inspired by the PRISMA recommendations. The inclusion criteria were the time period (1400–1900), encompassing both academic and realistic styles, and the use of pictorial techniques (oil, tempera, oil pastel) that allow for particularly realistic representations of the skin. The analysis was carried out in three stages: preselection of works with iconodiagnosis hypotheses, documentary study of the works' files, and iconodiagnosis examination in situ at the museum by ISI members.

Initially, the queries identified 169 portraits, of which 6 were subject to iconodiagnosis hypotheses. Subsequently, a direct visual examination of the paintings and an in-depth consultation of the Fabre Museum's documentary files were carried out. ISI member confirmed 4 dermatological iconodiagnosis, while 2 initial hypotheses were rejected, attributed to pictorial artifacts or alterations related to the state of conservation.

Preliminary analysis of museum digital databases of permanent collections and museum reserves facilitates the targeted identification of works for dermatological iconodiagnosis. However, limitations related to image quality and the risk of overinterpretation require validation through direct observation in close collaboration with the museum team for consultation of the associated artwork files.