Pain in the Ear - The Cauliflower Ear in Hyperrealism
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Updated: Nov 5, 2026

A Simplified Technique for Producing an Ischemic Wound Model
Published on: May 2, 2012
Uwe Wollina1, Alberto Goldman2, Leonhard J Hoenig3
1Former Head of the Department of Dermatology & Allergology, Städtisches Klinikum Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Adjuvant International Adjuvant Faculty, Department of Dermatology, Venerology & Leprosy, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education & Research - Premier Deemed to be University, Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
Abstract:
Cauliflower deformation of the ear is typically caused by blunt trauma to the ear. It is more common among athletes performing combat sports. The deformation has a functional and aesthetic impact. Surprisingly, the cauliflower ear has a long history of artistic depiction going back to Mesopotamians, Egypts, Minoans, Greeks, and Romans, characterizing idealized athletes. We describe an artistic reflection on cauliflower ears by hyperrealism. Hyperrealism refers to a second wave of artists influenced by the Photorealists in the 1970s and 1980s. In the European art movements of this time, Belgian artists were at the forefront of Hyperrealism. We represent a hyperrealistic work by the contemporary painter Els Nowen and compare this with a classic artwork from the Hellenistic period, the Terme Boxer attributed to Apoillonios of Athen.
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