Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn — the second youngest of 10 children of a flour mill owner and a baker's daughter — was just 25 when he painted his first major group portrait in 1632 in Amsterdam.
The iconic painting, 'The Anatomy Lesson of Nicolaes Tulp' (oil on canvas / 85.2 inch × 66.7 inch), shows seven men along with the physician, surgeon and anatomist Tulp gathered around a lifeless body of Aris Kindt. Two of the onlookers were said to be physicians while the others were well-heeled members of the Guild of Surgeons of Amsterdam.
The spotlight of the painting is clearly on the dead man, and the 39-year-old doctor, the latter being the only figure wearing a hat. Kindt in reality was a Leiden-born thief, who had mugged a man for his cloak; he was caught and publicly hanged for the crime on January 16, 1632.
Following the execution, his body was moved to the Anatomy Theatre of the Guild of Surgeons, where Tulp, the Praelector Chirurgiae et Anatomie (Reader of Anatomy), carried out its dissection. This was the second autopsy performed by Tulp (the first one having been done a year before). And he used the occasion to get a painting made by Rembrandt, a young but already distinguished artist.
Masterly composition
It was quite normal in those days in Amsterdam for leading physicians to deliver theory lessons to surgeons. Additionally, the Guild of Surgeons allowed one autopsy every year to be conducted in public under the supervision of the praelector. Crucially, the public autopsy was generally that of a male criminal; a Christian burial of the corpse would follow thereafter. The autopsies were open to a ticket-buying public and the occasions saw the operating theatres crowded to capacity.
Rembrandt's exceptional compositional skills, mastery in illumination and attention to detail are evident in the painting which shows the corpse's arm cut open (while Tulp demonstrates the inner workings of human arm). The commanding stance of the city's pre-eminent doctor and gestures of his hands immediately draw attention; while the body language and expressions on the faces of the onlookers indicate a sense of awe and anticipation of the unfolding dissection.
"Rembrandt's handling of light and contrast is remarkable," explains French orthopaedic surgeon Dr A C Masquelet. "In the painting, the light emanates from the cadaver. This is only to be expected. Like all of Rembrandt's paintings, the 'Anatomy Lesson' has both movement and the depth of human understanding... The men watching the dissection look anxious. Their faces show a keen interest, but, equally, a deep, dull unease."
A lurking irony cannot be missed in the whole situation where the deceased body of a petty thief has become the focus of attention in a fascinating work of art. "The common crook's ghastly lifeless image is more alive for us in posterity than nearly any of his more law-abiding contemporaries," observes an art historian.
"The expressive composition surrounding him is pregnant with all of the moment's paradoxes: the advance of humanism on the back of a cruel penal regime; the exaltation of the mind with the unsentimental commodification of the flesh; excellence and status bowing over that old emblem of mankind's final equality in the tomb."
Kenneth Clark, presenter of the famous television series Civilisation (1969), has an interesting take on Tulp. "The first great modern anatomist, Van Wessel, usually known as Vesalius, had been a Dutchman, and Dr Tulp, who looks pretty pleased himself, liked to be called Vesalius Reborn. I fancy he was a bit of a quack. He recommended his patients to drink 50 cups of tea a day…"
Interpreting reality
Although the painting is universally hailed for its artistic excellence and authentic depiction, there are people who feel that it is Rembrandt's 'interpretation' rather than a strict representation of a real event. They point out, for instance, that in medical procedures anatomists usually cut the torso first, followed by the chest, while in the painting the body is intact, except for the left forearm which has been dissected.
Notwithstanding such reservations, the painting has clearly carved its place as a masterpiece; some historians place it among the most significant paintings of 17th century art. "In this one painting, Rembrandt was able to present social norms and secular advancements that were considered hallmarks of the 1600s and Dutch national identity," says Tabbetha Atyeo of Maryland University College.
The painting remained in Amsterdam until the early 19th century. The Guild of Surgeons was disbanded in 1798, and its paintings were passed on to the Surgeons' Widows Fund. In 1828, when the Fund set out to trade the painting through public sale, it was prevented from doing so by Royal Decree. The painting was purchased by the Dutch government and since then it has been in Mauritshuis, an art museum in The Hague, the Netherlands, dominating the hall in which it hangs.
Kindt to Mandela
Rembrandt, whose life saw many ups and downs, including personal tragedy and financial hardships (leading to bankruptcy), died on October 4, 1669 in Amsterdam, aged 63. An iconic figure in the world of art, he painted many portraits, including self-portraits, and group portraits which have inspired and influenced generations of artists.
Over the centuries, many artists have even created their own versions of Rembrandt paintings.
In 2010, Zimbabwe-born South African artist Yiull Damaso painted his version of 'The Anatomy Lesson' by incorporating the image of Nelson Mandela in a loincloth as the corpse. While Nkosi Johnson, an Aids activist who died aged 12, took the place of Tulp, onlookers included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, FW de Klerk, Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, Cyril Rhamaphosa and Helen Zille.
On display for two days at a shopping mall in Johannesburg, the painting provoked widespread anger and condemnation. In a scathing attack, the African National Congress denounced that the painting was in bad taste, disrespectful, an insult and an affront to values of its society.
On his part, the 41-year old artist claimed to be a huge admirer of Mandela, but remained unrepentant. He insisted that he was using the image to make a political argument about how the country should come to terms with the future death of Mandela, who was in his 90s. "The death of Nelson Mandela is something we're going to have to face, not only as a family, but all of us as individuals, and as a nation. I'm sure that we've all confronted the reality of losing people that are special to us…"
The iconic painting, 'The Anatomy Lesson of Nicolaes Tulp' (oil on canvas / 85.2 inch × 66.7 inch), shows seven men along with the physician, surgeon and anatomist Tulp gathered around a lifeless body of Aris Kindt. Two of the onlookers were said to be physicians while the others were well-heeled members of the Guild of Surgeons of Amsterdam.
The spotlight of the painting is clearly on the dead man, and the 39-year-old doctor, the latter being the only figure wearing a hat. Kindt in reality was a Leiden-born thief, who had mugged a man for his cloak; he was caught and publicly hanged for the crime on January 16, 1632.
Following the execution, his body was moved to the Anatomy Theatre of the Guild of Surgeons, where Tulp, the Praelector Chirurgiae et Anatomie (Reader of Anatomy), carried out its dissection. This was the second autopsy performed by Tulp (the first one having been done a year before). And he used the occasion to get a painting made by Rembrandt, a young but already distinguished artist.
Masterly composition
It was quite normal in those days in Amsterdam for leading physicians to deliver theory lessons to surgeons. Additionally, the Guild of Surgeons allowed one autopsy every year to be conducted in public under the supervision of the praelector. Crucially, the public autopsy was generally that of a male criminal; a Christian burial of the corpse would follow thereafter. The autopsies were open to a ticket-buying public and the occasions saw the operating theatres crowded to capacity.
Rembrandt's exceptional compositional skills, mastery in illumination and attention to detail are evident in the painting which shows the corpse's arm cut open (while Tulp demonstrates the inner workings of human arm). The commanding stance of the city's pre-eminent doctor and gestures of his hands immediately draw attention; while the body language and expressions on the faces of the onlookers indicate a sense of awe and anticipation of the unfolding dissection.
"Rembrandt's handling of light and contrast is remarkable," explains French orthopaedic surgeon Dr A C Masquelet. "In the painting, the light emanates from the cadaver. This is only to be expected. Like all of Rembrandt's paintings, the 'Anatomy Lesson' has both movement and the depth of human understanding... The men watching the dissection look anxious. Their faces show a keen interest, but, equally, a deep, dull unease."
A lurking irony cannot be missed in the whole situation where the deceased body of a petty thief has become the focus of attention in a fascinating work of art. "The common crook's ghastly lifeless image is more alive for us in posterity than nearly any of his more law-abiding contemporaries," observes an art historian.
"The expressive composition surrounding him is pregnant with all of the moment's paradoxes: the advance of humanism on the back of a cruel penal regime; the exaltation of the mind with the unsentimental commodification of the flesh; excellence and status bowing over that old emblem of mankind's final equality in the tomb."
Kenneth Clark, presenter of the famous television series Civilisation (1969), has an interesting take on Tulp. "The first great modern anatomist, Van Wessel, usually known as Vesalius, had been a Dutchman, and Dr Tulp, who looks pretty pleased himself, liked to be called Vesalius Reborn. I fancy he was a bit of a quack. He recommended his patients to drink 50 cups of tea a day…"
Interpreting reality
Although the painting is universally hailed for its artistic excellence and authentic depiction, there are people who feel that it is Rembrandt's 'interpretation' rather than a strict representation of a real event. They point out, for instance, that in medical procedures anatomists usually cut the torso first, followed by the chest, while in the painting the body is intact, except for the left forearm which has been dissected.
Notwithstanding such reservations, the painting has clearly carved its place as a masterpiece; some historians place it among the most significant paintings of 17th century art. "In this one painting, Rembrandt was able to present social norms and secular advancements that were considered hallmarks of the 1600s and Dutch national identity," says Tabbetha Atyeo of Maryland University College.
The painting remained in Amsterdam until the early 19th century. The Guild of Surgeons was disbanded in 1798, and its paintings were passed on to the Surgeons' Widows Fund. In 1828, when the Fund set out to trade the painting through public sale, it was prevented from doing so by Royal Decree. The painting was purchased by the Dutch government and since then it has been in Mauritshuis, an art museum in The Hague, the Netherlands, dominating the hall in which it hangs.
Kindt to Mandela
Rembrandt, whose life saw many ups and downs, including personal tragedy and financial hardships (leading to bankruptcy), died on October 4, 1669 in Amsterdam, aged 63. An iconic figure in the world of art, he painted many portraits, including self-portraits, and group portraits which have inspired and influenced generations of artists.
Over the centuries, many artists have even created their own versions of Rembrandt paintings.
In 2010, Zimbabwe-born South African artist Yiull Damaso painted his version of 'The Anatomy Lesson' by incorporating the image of Nelson Mandela in a loincloth as the corpse. While Nkosi Johnson, an Aids activist who died aged 12, took the place of Tulp, onlookers included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, FW de Klerk, Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, Cyril Rhamaphosa and Helen Zille.
On display for two days at a shopping mall in Johannesburg, the painting provoked widespread anger and condemnation. In a scathing attack, the African National Congress denounced that the painting was in bad taste, disrespectful, an insult and an affront to values of its society.
On his part, the 41-year old artist claimed to be a huge admirer of Mandela, but remained unrepentant. He insisted that he was using the image to make a political argument about how the country should come to terms with the future death of Mandela, who was in his 90s. "The death of Nelson Mandela is something we're going to have to face, not only as a family, but all of us as individuals, and as a nation. I'm sure that we've all confronted the reality of losing people that are special to us…"