Symbolic Meanings in Rembrandt's Dr. Tulp's Anatomy Lesson, Study notes of Anatomy

Download Symbolic Meanings in Rembrandt's Dr. Tulp's Anatomy Lesson and more Study notes Anatomy in PDF only on Docsity! PersPective 389 IMAJ • VOL 11 • JULy 2009 said at the beginning, and at the end a minute of silence was observed. The human being was considered to be a divine creation, proof of God’s greatness. Studying God’s creation, therefore, would enable man to better understand God and bring man closer to him. The anatomy lesson served to remind man of his own mortality (Memento mori) and just how fleeting life is. It is also interesting to note that body weight measured before death and postmortem differed by a few grams. This difference was attributed to the soul having left the body. The fact that the bodies being autopsied were criminals who had been sentenced to death was taken as evidence that good can come from evil [3-5]. The Surgeon’s Guild was founded in Amsterdam in 1552, approximately 80 years before Rembrandt painted Dr. Tulp’s Anatomy Lesson, at the time that the surgeons withdrew from the Wooden Shoe and Ice Skate Manufacturers Guild. In 17th century Holland, surgeons were considered to be physi- cians, but before that they were considered craftsmen. They received their ‘clients’, examined them, and performed sur- geries in small shops located in the towns. Concepts such as hygiene and infectious agents (and the relationship connect- ing them) were as yet unknown. Some surgeons even offered haircuts, shaves and bloodletting [1,2]. The Surgeon’s Guild in Amsterdam accumulated five group portraits of anatomy lessons: A. Pieterz (1601–1603), T. De Keyser (1619), N. Elias (1625), and two by Rembrandt (1632 and 1656). The primary reason for these paintings was the immortalization of the per- sonages. Since it was also seen as a status symbol, the guild members wanted to be represented clearly, attractively, with dignity, and as prominently as possible. Obviously, they did not want to be the victim of an artist experimenting with new ideas and techniques (such as novel approaches to composi- tion, light and shadow). The Guild, for its part, wanted paint- ings to be respectful, dignified and unique. Moreover, the Guild members paid out of their own pockets to be included in the paintings even though the paintings remained the property of the Guild [2-5]. In Holland, the tradition of painting group portraits began in the 15th century. These first portraits, however, merely An autopsy was an important event in 17th century Holland. Autopsies were held in an ‘anatomy theater’ and performed according to a fixed protocol that often took up to 3 days to complete. Of the five group portraits painted by Rembrandt over the course of his career, two were anatomy lessons given by Dr. Tulp and Dr. Deyman. An examination of Rembrandt’s painting Dr. Tulp’s Anatomy Lesson (1632) and an X-ray image of the painting, as compared to other paintings of anatomy lessons from the same period, reveal interesting differences, such as positioning, and light and shadow. Not only was the autopsy not performed according to the usual protocol, but in this painting Rembrandt created a unique dramatic scene in his effort to tell a story. We suggest that Dr. Tulp and Rembrandt “modified” the painting of Dr. Tulp's anatomy lesson to emphasize Dr. Tulp's position as the greatest anatomist of his era – "Vesalius of Amsterdam," and as a way of demonstrating God’s greatness by highlighting the hand as a symbol of the most glorious of God’s creations. IMAJ 2009;11:389–392 Rembrandt, anatomy lesson, art aBstract: keY wOrds: i n the 17th century, annual public anatomy lessons were considered not only educational but also social and cultural events. These autopsies, i.e., anatomy lessons, were held every year as a live demonstration accompanied by explanations. They were open to everyone – students and the general pub- lic alike – and were performed as a theatrical event in every sense. These lessons were always scheduled during the winter season when the weather remained cold enough to preserve the cadaver. Dr. Tulp’s lesson began on 31 January 1632 and would have normally lasted 3 to 5 days [1,2]. An autopsy also had religious significance. Prayers were dr. tulp’s anatomy lesson by rembrandt: the third day Hypothesis Arnon Afek MD MHA1*, Tal Friedman MD2*, Chen Kugel MD3, Iris Barshack MD1 and Doron J. Lurie PhD4** 1Department of Pathology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel 2Department of Plastic Surgery, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel 3 Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel 4 Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel * The first two authors contributed equally to this article ** Senior curator of 16th to 19th Century Art, and Chief Conservator, Tel Aviv Museum of Art PersPective 390 IMAJ • VOL 11 • JULy 2009 depicted figures lined up, one next to the other, expressionless and motionless and without any sense of interaction among the figures – like soldiers standing at attention. Although this concept of group portraits began to soften in the 16th century, Rembrandt was the only one to dare to portray a sense of drama in his group portraits [5-8]. We evaluated Rembrandt’s painting of Dr. Tulp’s Anatomy Lesson with emphasis on the autopsy in comparison to other paintings on the same subject. Our intention was to discover how Rembrandt was able to create human drama in the paint- ing of a postmortem autopsy. By studying the composition on one hand, and the autopsy protocol on the other, we attempted to penetrate the world of our professional forefathers. Our studY Of the five group portraits painted by Rembrandt Van Rijn during his lifetime (1606–1669) we examined the two depict- ing anatomy lessons: Dr. Tulp’s (1632) and Dr. Deyman’s (1656), the latter of which was severely burned in the large fire that later engulfed the Surgeon’s Guild building. Other paintings of anatomy lessons that belong to the Amsterdam Surgeon’s Guild were carefully examined as well (by A. Pieterz, T. De Keyser and N. Elias) [1-8]. [Rembrandt painted three additional group portraits: The Night Watch (1642), The Syndics of the Draper’s Guild (1662), and a Family Portrait (around 1665), although these were not included in this study.] We augmented the basis of our research on the basis of X-ray films of the painting and on the medical and art literature available on the subject. The following components of the painting were analyzed: a) the positioning of Dr. Tulp and his students; b) use of light and shadow (chiaro scuro); c) the position of the cadaver, its form and color; and d) the body organs, which were shown to have been autopsied in relation to the 3 day protocol (dis- cussed later). Our Findings Examination of the painting Dr. Tulp’s Anatomy Lesson (dimensions 216.5 x 169.5 cm) reveals nine figures – eight men and one cadaver – all portrayed in life size [Figure 1]. Dr. Tulp is the most important figure in the painting and the only one on the right. He appears to be lecturing and the remaining figures to be listening. The cadaver is painted diagonally in the foreground, giving it a dominant position, and a book (presumably an anatomy book) lies open at the feet of the cadaver. Rembrandt chose to paint the scene pre- dominantly in tones of black and white. The body being autopsied is that of Adriaen Adrianson (alias Aris het Kint), who achieved infamy by virtue of his being the cadaver shown in this painting. Because of his police record he was condemned to death and hung on 31 January 1632, even though the last arrest was for merely steal- ing a coat. His body serves as a focal point and is highlighted in the painting, despite the fact that he was the only person present not to have paid for his portrait [2-4]. At first glance the cadaver appears intact except for its left arm, but on closer inspection several abnormal deviations are visible. His right arm is significantly shorter than his left arm, and the fingertips of his right hand do not reach his loins. The head is portrayed to the right above the chest cavity, rather than aligned with the center of the body, and the neck is not portrayed at all. The chest cavity bulges prominently at the anterolateral aspect, so much so that the cadaver appears to have a 'barrel chest'. The most significant difference between the autopsy in Dr. Tulp’s Anatomy Lesson and other paintings of anatomy lessons is the fact that it does not conform to the accepted protocol. According to this protocol the abdominal and chest cavities should have been autopsied on the first day, the head on the second day, and the limbs on the third. At first glance of Dr. Tulp’s Anatomy Lesson, with the exception of the autopsied left arm (last day protocol), all other body parts (head, chest, and abdominal cavity) seem to be intact [2,7,9,10]. A close inspection of the X-ray taken of the painting shows a number of modifications – or stages – in the painting of the picture [Figure 2]. The most significant change is the addition of a figure on the lower left side that is not included in the triangular composition of the figures in the picture. Another change noted is that the hat on the head of a student in the left upper corner has been painted over, so that Dr. Tulp, in Figure 1. Dr. Tulp's Anatomy Lesson – Rembrandt (1632)