University Health Network - Academy of Medicine Collection
Category
Archival Items
Classification
Archival, Images
Accession Number
002050008
Description
Monotone reproduction print of a painting affixed to heavy paper; depicts a group of seven surgeons looking on as physician Nicolaes Tulp leads an anatomy lesson on a cadaver; text on front in Dutch and French; appears to be removed from frame; embossed line around perimeter of print with wide plai…
Monotone reproduction print of a painting affixed to heavy paper; depicts a group of seven surgeons looking on as physician Nicolaes Tulp leads an anatomy lesson on a cadaver; text on front in Dutch and French; appears to be removed from frame; embossed line around perimeter of print with wide plain border; paper still flexible.
"Rembrandt van Ryn pinoc 1632 // T de Frey f: aquforti 1798 // DEMONSTRATION ANATOMIQUE, // faite par le celebre Medicine Nicolas Tulp. // Profesfeur d'anatomic a Amsterdam, l'An 1683 // le tableau original se trouve au Theatre // anatomique d'Amsterdam."; repeated in Dutch
Permanent Location
Storage Room 2005
2005-1-3 Box D
Length
44.0 cm
Width
36.0 cm
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Condition Remarks
Heavily foxed and yellowed paper; missing minor piece on bottom edge and 1.5 cm tear at upper left edge
Copy Type
reproduction
Reference Types
Internet
Reference Comments
Zygmont, Bryon. “Rembrant, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp.” Khan Academy. Accessed February 23, 2017. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/baroque-art1/holland/a/rembrandt-the-anatomy-lesson-of-dr-tulp
Research Facts
The original portrait, painted by Dutch Baroque Rembrandt van Rijn in 1632, depicts a group of seven surgeons looking on as physician Nicolaes Tulp leads an anatomy lesson. It was commissioned to hang in the board room of the Guild of Surgeons, a group that Tulp had become a reader of three years before. Tulp is shown as the only man wearing a hat, showing his elevated position over his pupil, as he demonstrates how arm muscles are attached to the body using forceps. He was known to give theory lessons twice a week in Amsterdam with one public autopsy a year being conducted. The painting shows the 1632 autopsy that used the body of a criminal, an executed thief named Adriaen het Kint as their cadaver. The surgeon in the centre towards the back holds a sheet of paper that lists the names of all the men in participating in the lesson, many of whom would have paid for the honor of being included in the composition.
Though it was one of Rembrandt’s earlier works, The Anatomy Lesson remains one of his most well-known paintings; the skill is evident in the expressive, recognizable faces of the surgeons and the dynamic contrast between light and dark. Rembrandt does, however, some artistic liberties, particularly as the surgeon would have begun with opening the chest cavity in an autopsy as opposed to beginning with an arm.
This was also one of the first painting that Rembrandt signed with his forename as opposed to RHL which he had used on previous ones, likely showing his increasing confidence in his artistic abilities.
Rectangular amber glass bottle (a) with cylindrical neck and metal screw-on cap (b); paper label covers front, left and right sides; bottle is full of round tablets; neck is stuffed with cotton
Rectangular amber glass bottle (a) with cylindrical neck and metal screw-on cap (b); paper label covers front, left and right sides; bottle is full of round tablets; neck is stuffed with cotton
University Health Network - Academy of Medicine Collection
Category
Archival Items
Classification
Archival, Images
Accession Number
002050400
Description
Paper reproduction print of Leonardo DaVinci's sketch of a male torso back showing muscle locations; reverse shows adhesive residure form affixed in an album or similar.
Paper reproduction print of Leonardo DaVinci's sketch of a male torso back showing muscle locations; reverse shows adhesive residure form affixed in an album or similar.
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Acquired from the Academy of Medicine.
Material
paper: cream
ink: black
Inscriptions
"Leonardo DaVinci 1645"
Permanent Location
Storage Room 2005
2005-5-6 Assorted Binder A pg 1 a
Length
8.2 cm
Width
5.6 cm
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Condition Remarks
Paper yellowed, adhesive residue shows through to front