TY - JOUR
T1 - Anatomy lesson of the brain and cerebral membranes captured on canvas by Rembrandt in 1656
AU - IJpma, F. F. A.
AU - van Gulik, T. M.
PY - 2018/4/1
Y1 - 2018/4/1
N2 - The Anatomy Lesson of Jan Deijman, painted by Rembrandt in 1656, is one of the most extraordinary historical paintings recording an anatomical demonstration of the brain and the cerebral membranes. This painting belongs to the series of group portraits made for the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons in the 17th and 18th centuries. Unfortunately, the painting was seriously damaged by a fire in the boardroom of the Surgeons' Guild in 1723. The original painting once measured at least five times the size of what is left of it today after large pieces of burned canvas had to be removed during the restoration process. Lying on the dissection table is the body of an executed criminal. Doctor Deijman, lecturer in anatomy of the Surgeons' Guild, is standing behind the corpse while performing the anatomical dissection. The abdominal organs have been removed, and the brain and cerebral membranes are about to be dissected. The nature of the depicted anatomical structures was assessed recently. This revealed that, by showing the falx cerebri, Rembrandt at the same time probably concealed a memento mori message in his masterpiece.
AB - The Anatomy Lesson of Jan Deijman, painted by Rembrandt in 1656, is one of the most extraordinary historical paintings recording an anatomical demonstration of the brain and the cerebral membranes. This painting belongs to the series of group portraits made for the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons in the 17th and 18th centuries. Unfortunately, the painting was seriously damaged by a fire in the boardroom of the Surgeons' Guild in 1723. The original painting once measured at least five times the size of what is left of it today after large pieces of burned canvas had to be removed during the restoration process. Lying on the dissection table is the body of an executed criminal. Doctor Deijman, lecturer in anatomy of the Surgeons' Guild, is standing behind the corpse while performing the anatomical dissection. The abdominal organs have been removed, and the brain and cerebral membranes are about to be dissected. The nature of the depicted anatomical structures was assessed recently. This revealed that, by showing the falx cerebri, Rembrandt at the same time probably concealed a memento mori message in his masterpiece.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85127926548&origin=inward
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29603134
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1002/BJS.10610
DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/BJS.10610
M3 - Article
C2 - 29603134
SN - 0007-1323
VL - 105
SP - 512
JO - British Journal of Surgery
JF - British Journal of Surgery
IS - 5
ER -