I Baroque into the Expansion of Scientific Knowledge in Art

The Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Nicolaes Tulp

Background Information

 The Baroque era was a milestone where scientific observation increased. Many world-renowned scientists greatly influenced the subject matter and intensity that many artworks displayed, such as the Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt. The painting was created using oil paint on canvas. The artwork was created in 1632 and is hanging in the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague (Zygmont). Rembrandt created a work of art that was different from what other artists created in reference to group paintings. Others would have “recreated a previous group image—inserting new heads in place of old ones'', however that was not the case for Rembrandt (Zygmont). He created one of the “most recognizable images in the history of painting” (Zygmont). The painting itself is one of many group portraits that were made for the boardroom of the Guild of Surgeons. The body used for public autopsies were "usually that of a criminal, in this case Adriaen het Kint"(Unknown).During the 17th century in Holland, artists looked to “professional and the middle class for patronage”(Zygmont). Furthermore, the middle class and merchant class looked for artists in return to produce new kinds of art that met their needs (Zygmont). This anatomical piece “has a central motif, an anatomy lesson, and a protagonist, the praelector or reader” (Zygmont). Its subject matter revolves around an anatomy lesson that Tulp gave in January 1632 (Zygmont). Rembrandt captured the men at “a specific instant in time, but in fact the painting is a careful and very well thought out composition” (Unknown). The viewer’s attention is focused on Tulp demonstrating “how the muscles of the arm are attached. The corpse’s arm has been laid open for the purpose” (Unknown). 

                                                                            Dissection of the Piece

I chose this work of art as it pertains to the scientific aspect of art. What intrigues me the most is how the artistic elements intertwined with anatomy. As you can see, Rembrandt used tenebrism so the focus is on the subject matter which is the group and the corpse. He also used paint to create the illusion that the light is shown in the front on the men's faces, while those standing behind are not as dramatically highlighted. What is also interesting is the illusion of light in the center of the corpse's body as it fades to the grayish black shadow. I would also like to note the very subtle difference in the corpse's skin color in contrast to the group. Obviously the men in the group have a pale complexion, I would say with a warm undertone to the skin, showing their liveliness. The corpse on the other hand, has a cooler undertone to show that he is no longer living. You see more of that detail on the finger tips, and the grayish blue contours of his face. I can appreciate the magnitude of detail in this painting. The corpse's detail is amazing. Rembrandt captured the muscular tone of the body. He also captured the curiosity and amazement of the group's face as they watch Tulp explain the lesson. Tulp's face is even giving off the vibe of lecturing based on his body language. I love the use of oil paint, because it emphasizes realism of a painting by creating smoothness and detail of faces without creating harsh lines. The corpse's arm that is being dissected, for some reason this reminds me of Leonardo Da Vinci's anatomy drawings from the Renaissance era.

Anatomy in the Renaissance Era??
Italian Renaissance artists wanted to create a more realistic and lifelike portrayal of the human body. During this time period, there was speculation "that his anatomical interest was sparked during his apprenticeship in Verrocchio’s workshop" (Unknown). He depicted the need to "studied human anatomy to improve his ability to capture the human form in great detail"(Cizek). It is said that he used cadavers to help him in this precision.  His findings from these studies were "recorded in the famous anatomical drawings, which are among the most significant achievements of Renaissance science" (Unknown).

Links to more information on Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical perspective:

https://clocktower.ucollege.edu/articles/2018/leonardo-da-vinci-corpse-caper

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-renaissance-tradition-cadavers-drawing-classes-alive

Bibliography

Unknown. “The Anatomy lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp.” Museum het Rembrandthuis, 2020, https://www.rembrandthuis.nl/meet-rembrandt/rembrandt-the-artist/most-important-work/the-anatomy-lesson-of-dr-nicolaes-tulp/?lang=en

Unknown. “Leonado da Vinci.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leonardo-da-Vinci/Anatomical-studies-and-drawings.

Zygmont, Dr. Bryan. “Rembrandt, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp.” Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/baroque-art1/holland/v/rembrandt-tulp