- The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is a painting about exactly what it sounds like, Dr. Nicolaes Tulp giving a lecture on muscles of an arm to many medical professionals, created in 1632 and today is in the Mauritshuis museum in the Netherlands. Dr. Tulp was an anatomist, which is an expert in anatomy, and was giving this particular lecture to the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons. He did these public dissections annually, in a theater with public being able to pay an entrance fee to watch. These dissections were done on only executed criminals, in The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp the man was Aris Kindt which was strangled that day for armed robbery.
I think this is a very interesting painting because of the level of detail that was put into it. Starting with the body, medical specialists have said that muscles and tendons are incredibly accurate. Then looking at the expressions at the many people in the painting, seeing how interested all of the people are in what Tulp’s doing. I also think the shadow over the face of the Kindt has some sort of meaning about death. The most interesting part of this painting to me is the fact this happened many times, allowing for many people to learn about the human body, or expand scientific knowledge about the complex human body to not only surgeons but to the general public.
October 3, 2009 at 4:38 am
Hi,
I really enjoyed your blog on this piece of art. Rembrandt Harmenszoon really seemed capture the people that he was painting. I find this painting almost creepy because of the “realistic” way the man laying on the table looks. I find it interesting that the good Dr. only dissected “executed criminals.” I wonder how much the fee was to watch a dissection.
October 6, 2009 at 1:03 am
Good job on the blog, you included several interesting facts about the history of the time, and the Dr. in the painting. This was a very interesting post and i enjoyed reading it, as it made me realize that every piece of art has an interesting story behind it, begging to be told.
I also agree that this was a very detailed piece of work; Rembrandt even went into enough detail to paint the shadows of the individuals on the wall! It is also amazing the amount of detail in the faces of these individuals, which reinforces the ideas of the Baroque time period. In addition to this, the colors are also very dark around the body, and white, which is center on the body, which again was a characteristic of this period. It seems to play a trick on your eyes, as it draws your attention else where.
October 6, 2009 at 9:02 am
I think this is a great display of the scientific interest of the Baroque era. People were not only interested in religion and realism but in the why’s of how things worked. It is also interesting that this annual dissection session was preserved on canvas for the future generations. We also get to see the scientists of the time. Tulp was truly a master of his time, as was Rembrandt for capturing this medical moment. I also love that there are details in this painting that you do not realize at first glance. Behind the figures, everything recedes into shadows through which one can vaguely see a stone archway, a set of rules posted on a wall, an open tome – probably an anatomy treatise. These subtle details make Rembrandt a magnificent artist.
Rembrandt began to work as a professional portraitist about 1631. His earliest existing commissioned portraits (Portrait of a Scholar, Portrait of the Amsterdam Merchant Nicholaas Ruts, Frick) are both of that year. The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp of 1632 shows how quickly he surpassed the smooth technique of the fashionable Amsterdam portraitists. Rembrandt was 26 at the time of this painting.
The corpse is the focus of the composition, by its intense brightness. From here, the eye of the spectator is led to the illuminated heads of the listeners, whose expressions and attitudes reflect different degrees of attention, and to the face and hands of Tulp, who is a most convincing representation of a scholar absorbed in his subject. With forceps in his right hand Tulp holds the muscles and tendons of the arm that control the movement of the hand, while the bent fingers of his left hand demonstrate an aspect of their wondrous action. The illusionism is enhanced by the vivid characterization of the individuals as well as by the artist’s great power in dramatizing the moment within a coherent group. Without the strong chiaroscuro and the fine atmospheric quality that is combined with it, the picture would lose its intensity, the sculptural quality of the forms, and all the excitement of the moment. Here, psychological and pictorial tensions combine to create the feeling of an extraordinary event. (1)
Well-to-do families, notable persons, the officers of guilds and civic guards commissioned large numbers of group portraits, which provided a livelihood for a multitude of artists. The leading citizens would pay – and often pay very handsomely – for the privilege of being included in official group portraits. Tulp had decided to be shown in his natural environment, giving an anatomy lesson. Most of the seven other figures in the painting were wealthy middle-class citizens of Amsterdam. Only two of the observers were physicians.
Rembrandt was concerned with the effect that Professor Tulp’s message was having on the anatomist’s audience. The composition of the picture, and the subtle handling of contrast within the group of observers, defines two movements: one movement into the depth of the picture space, from in front backwards and upwards; and one movement directed downwards. This double movement imparted to the group by the deformation of the geometrical patterns that make up the composition expresses both the zeal and fascination of the observers, and their fright at the discovery of the body and its mysteries. The men watching the dissection look anxious. Their faces show a keen interest, but, equally, a deep, dull unease.
1. http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/r/rembran/painting/group/anatomy.html
October 6, 2009 at 5:48 pm
My Gosh! I had no idea Rembrandt had created this painting. These days, anatomy is a hallmark of any formal art education. Even Da Vinci did similar work but nowhere near as representational. The precision with which Rembrandt executes (pardon the pun) his subject is stunning. I as well appreciate the story behind the deceased and their shadowy portrayal in the work. This painting shows the greater emphasis science was starting to play in everyday life and the institution medicine appears to be upon. The Dutch were notoriously separated from the catholic church and in response put more effort into non-religious activity. If nothing else, Rembrandt carefully cataloged the emphasis of the day.
October 9, 2009 at 12:47 am
This blog was quite interesting to read, I learned some interesting things about Rembrandt. I hadn’t seen this painting before but I was drawn to the details of the people watching the disection, as well as the arm of the body bein disected. I thought this had good and accurate information and was presented in an interesting and well thought out manner. Also liked your take how shadows worked into the meaning of the painting. Good job.