The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp is a painting by the Dutch painter Rembrandt. The 1632 completed work with the dimensions 216.5 cm x 169.5 cm today hangs in the Mauritshuis in The Hague.

Background

Two people in the painting are particularly exposed: one is the physician Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, who explains to the spectators attending the skeletal muscle. The other is the dead: Adriaan Adriaanszoon was a violent mugger, he was hanged for his crimes. The other people are Jacob Jansz Colevelt, Adrian Cornilsz Slabberaen, Mathys Evertsz Calkoen, Jacob Jansz de Witt, Jacob Dielofse block and Frans van Loenen, which is probably both by the order situation, as well as the center hand-held paper. Anatomy demonstrations were in the 17th century a social event: They took place in auditorium similar so-called anatomical theaters; the audience, often guild colleagues, students and dignitaries, had to pay an entrance fee. The patience of the people involved in the show position were remunerated.

The painting

Viewers are shown the social occasion dressed appropriately solemn, there are just as Dr. Tulp Members of the Amsterdam Guild of Barbers and Surgeons. That Tulp is higher in rank, indicated by the fact that he has preserved to the hat in the hall. ( However, this is a later compositional solution, since X-rays revealed a hat at the highest seated person in the deeper layers of paint. ) When the person left in the picture and that is in the background of all other viewers, it is believed that these figures only have been subsequently inserted into the image. One person is missing completely: the taxidermist. Dr. Tulp was a man of science, not of everyday business, and in between was fine distinction in the 17th century. The science explained the bloody craft had to do another. Consequently, there is in this picture, no cutting instruments, instead it closes in the lower right corner from a huge book, it is an anatomy textbook to be. The interesting thing about the painting is an error: Raised muscle ( flexor digitorum superficialis ) should actually be on the inside of the Ellenboges ( he is here in the painting outside, but would, according to the nomenclature on the inside have its origin. ) Rembrandt was only 25 years old when he painted the picture. But even in this, namely, in the person of the dead, shows a peculiarity which Rembrandt increasingly practiced in later years: the shading of faces, the suggestion of umbra mortis.

Aftereffect

Goscinny and Uderzo Asterix parodied the painting in the band The Seer. The Seer "reads" this from a fish lying on the table in the future, while the villagers standing around the end of the table. Sebald employs in The Rings of Saturn (p. 22 ff) in detail with the painting, especially with the anatomical errors. In a promotional trailer of the computer game Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the image was implemented as a variation in a computer-generated animation. It serves as a parallel to the replacement of the arms through cybernetic prostheses. In the movie Barbara by Christian Petzold (2012 ) interpreted the doctor André Reiser the error so that Rembrandt has the hand drawn intentionally wrong - as a second right hand. All Doctors look at the anatomy textbook and see the hand as they want to see this - as shown in the textbook - but not the way it is in reality.