Anatomical illustration of the human brain occupying the cranium.
This is a public domain image from the NIH’s (National Institute of Health) History of Medicine Division from the National Library of Medicine. This illustration is part of Govard Bidloo’s Dutch anatomical atlas Ontleding des menschelyken lichaams, which experienced little success due to the rising costs of printing large medical volumes. However, Bidloo tried to break even by selling several hundred engravings from this work to an English anatomist, William Cowper, who published the 1698 Oxford text, Anatomy of the Human Bodies, with these images. The ownership of the engravings was debated after the publication of Cowper’s text.
This depiction of the human brain may seem grotesque by our modern standards, but it was very likely a cutting-edge likeness in the 17th century. The illustrations were created by Gérard de Lairesse, engraved by Abraham Blooteling, and Peter van Gunst (circa 1659-1724).
Ontleding des menschelyken lichaams was published in 1690 and contained this image. Because of this pre-1923 publication date, this image is in the public domain.
Hosted by the National Institute of Health website.
User Descriptions
03.12.10
A far cry from the detailed anatomical charts favored by modern medicine, this black and white pencil drawing offers two shots of a man’s head. The first is covered by a cloth which is drawn away in the second to reveal (with a change of perspective) the brain, with the skin being pulled away in layers to reveal the inner organ of the bearded man’s skull. While the overall feel is anatomical, the small details of the man’s curling hair, facial hair, and full lips lends a grotesque personal aspect that modern charts are designed to omit, making this drawing feel archaic and almost cruel in its display of an actual person being opened for scientific investigation. This sense is further heightened by the flap of skin that hands over the man’s eyes in the lower depiction of the head, as well the fact that the head has clearly been severed from the body. It is not a comfortable image to look at, and, perhaps because of the three dimension effect of the shadows, the viewer is given a feeling of observing this head as it sits on some nineteenth century examination table before a theater of doctors.
03.13.10
This image contains two pencil drawn illustrations of a man’s head from different angles: one is straight-on or ninety degrees, the other is at an angle, off to the left of the page. The man is bearded, with dark curly hair. The drawings are labeled fig. 1 and fig. 2. The first shows the skin peeled off of the skull, and and left hanging in front of the subject’s eyes. The cracks along the bones of the cranium can be seen, and are labeled with various letters. The second drawing shows the top of the head with the skull bone removed, leaving the wrinkled gray matter of the brain exposed. The skin is still draped over the man’s face, which is now seen straight on. Various parts of the brain have been labeled with letters. Through the paper, typed text can be seen, as though this is an illustration from an old medical school text book. Both drawings are extremely detailed and very life like, despite being in pencil. There is very little emotion in these drawings, contributing to the likelihood of a reference material. The head appears to be severed, but there is still a degree of life to the skin.