Blog 4: The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp
This painting was created by Rembrandt van Rijn in the Netherlands in 1632. Entitled "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp," this painting depicts Amsterdam's Surgeon's Guild. Shortly after Rembrandt's arrival in Amsterdam, he was commissioned to create a group portrait of the Surgeon's Guild. The painting depicts a group study on human anatomy, as shown above. Group portraiture became popularized during the Baroque era. This painting represents an expansion of scientific thinking and is connected to the rise of the merchant class.
The Baroque era was a time of scientific advancement. Along with discoveries in the human body, there were advancements made in astronomy and geography. Items sych as the globe, telescope, and microscope prompted scientific thinking and new discoveries. This painting is evidence of a bigger shift to scientific thinking during the Baroque period. Study of human anatomy was very popular during this time, and even became a spectacle. Human dissections often featured food, wine, music, and conversation. They were open to the public, as well. In this specific case, we are talking about the Amsterdam Surgeon's Guild. Dr. Nicolaes Tulp was a praelector anatomie, which was like a professor. He was given this position in 1628 and was required to deliver yearly public lectures on human anatomy. The study depicted occurred on January 16, 1632, when this painting was created. The detail of the human body shows Rembrandt's understanding of the human body. He used color and shading to beautifully show musculature and bone structure in the cadaver. The exposed flesh is still mainly accurate. A few doctors completed a comparison where they dissected a male cadaver forearm in the exact way shown in the painting. Doing this, they found four inaccuracies, but the depicting was mostly correct. Rembrandt still shows a much more complex understanding of human anatomy than the average person, especially as someone who was not in the medical field.
"The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp" is also connected to the rise of the merchant class. Rembrandt grew up in Holland in 1606. he lived there during the height of the expansion of the mercantile class. Favor of the arts grew among the merchant class and tradespeople, and they would commission artists to create specific things. Influx of money into the arts helped give Rembrandt his start. This is similar to the Renaissance, when the Catholic Church would commission artists, such as Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo was also knowledgeable about human anatomy and musculature, which is obvious in his paintings. "The Creation of Adam" for example, features Adam reaching to a representation of God. The detail in the physical from of the characters shows the beauty of the human body and demonstrates skill and mastery in the art form. Similar skill can be seen in "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp." They do differ, as Michelangelo's painting showed the light and beauty of the human body, while Rembrandt's is more raw, real, and grotesque in a way. Another key difference is the motivation behind the piece. Like we talked about earlier, the expansion of scientific knowledge was vital to inspiring Rembrandt's painting.
I personally find this painting incredibly interesting. I would certainly own a version of this if that were a possibility. The facial expressions of each individual give the painting so much life. each individual has a unique expression and almost has their own story within the painting. Some are looking at the cadaver, some at Dr. Tulp, some at the book, and others are looking at something off in the distance. They look curious, and a bit wary. It's a very human thing to have those conflicting emotions and it makes the people in the painting feel very real. It's also notable how distinctive Dr. Tulp looks. His color contrasts are the most stark, which set him apart from the other people. He is also the only person wearing a hat, which could be to set him apart as the teacher. His facial expression appears confident and calm, and does not share the same wariness the others do. Another aspect of this painting I am fond of is the light-and-dark contrast. Lighting is another thing that changed during the Baroque period. During the Baroque era, tenebrism emerged. This was as style of painting that had sharp contrasts between light and dark. These paintings are incredibly striking and powerful. This painting is a more subtle version of that. It used chiaroscuro, which has lighting contrasts that are prominent, but not as dramatic or stark. In this case, I think it fits very well. The only real colors in the painting are in the flesh of the cadaver and the rosy pink cheeks of the attendees. I think the light-and-dark theme and shadowing across the painting really adds to the feeling. It's captivating and to me feels solemn, but full of curiosity.
Sources:
F. Ijpma, R. van de Graaf, J. Nicholai, M. Meek. “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp
by Rembrandt (1632): A comparison of the Painting With a Dissected Left Forearm of a Dutch
Male Cadaver.” Journal of Hand Surgery. (07/2006) https://www.jhandsurg.org/article/S0363-
B. Zygmont. “Rembrandt, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp.” Khan Academy. (2015) https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/baroque
-art1/holland/a/rembrandt-the-anatomy-lesson-of-dr-tulp
The Scientific Revolution and the Baroque. Niels Bohr Institute. (2014) https://nbi.ku.dk/english/www/science_in_art/chapters/baroque/
This is such an interesting painting! I like the way you explained the context behind the painting, and I also appreciated you pointing out things like their different expressions and such. It reminds me of the time I was give the opportunity to watch the dissection of a beaver. I was the guy to the left of Dr. Tulp, in the back. I also find the fact that human dissection was just a public event you could witness fascinating. It reminds me of the story of Giovanni Aldini's demonstration of electricity in the human body. He sent a current through a human cadaver in front of a crowd, and when it starts flopping about, people thought he was raising the dead. This was actually part of the inspiration for Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, funnily enough.
ReplyDeleteThis is a unique and informative painting! It does an excellent job capturing the scientific expansion during this era. I agree that the contrast of colors helps add a solemn but curious air to the painting. The selective use of color and light also adds a serious tone to the fact that there is human body being cut and explored. I think you did a great job explaining the context of this painting and also comparing it to a piece from the Renaissance. It was interesting to learn that autopsies used to be a public event for people to learn from it. Also, the fact that Rembrandt was almost 100% accurate in his painting, blew me away. It's amazing to see the complex knowledge he had available to him at that time as an artist.
ReplyDeleteYou did a great explanation of the painting. I liked the first painting the best “The anatomy lesson of Dr Tulp.” I really enjoyed the dark color used in the background to showcase the main focus of the painting. As a viewer he very much highlighted the painting very well. The different expressions stood out in the painting and added a dimension to the piece that wouldn’t have made the piece as good had he not done this. The scientific expansion during this era is highlighted in the paintings and you did a great explanation and integration between the paintings and the times. I think his showcasing of the individuals with different expressions told a huge story for the onlooker.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this blog post as someone who is currently taking anatomy at UAF. I get to witness lots of anatomical art in my lab manuals and textbooks and your covering of this painting has given me great insight on the beginning of art like this. With the rise of scientific discoveries during this time including the anatomical human body I am shocked with how accurate it is in many ways. I also enjoyed the Neoclassical stylistic use of muted colors and straight lines in this painting. It gives it such a heightened sense of realism that allows the viewer to both put their attention at the foreground while feeling as though they are right inside the painting with the other students.
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