17th century drawing of the human skull from a Dutch anatomy textbook
This public domain image of a human skull is a drawing that was included in a 17th century Dutch medical textbook by Govard Bidloo. As you can see, the skull is presented from several angles so viewers can observe the bone structure. The letters adorning each bone correspond with the Latin name of the bone, for quick reference and study.
Because the text was published in 1690, it is in the public domain.
Hosted by the National Institute of Health website.
User Descriptions
02.07.10
Great image. Just the one I needed at the right time. Thank you so much.
PS: I’d like to know how to credit the image or the site, since I’m planning to use it as the background image for a flyer to promote a show. Thanks again!
03.12.10
This is an anatomical image of the human skull, teeth and jaw. It appears to have been scanned from an old anatomy textbook. It is an accurate representation that could be used for medical or artistic purposes. With a white background, and light, delicate lines, it looks like it was originally a pencil drawing. It shows each different kind of tooth and also a close up detail of a tooth, including it’s internal structure. The skull is displayed from both the front and top and from the bottom and rear. The jaw is displayed from several angles and a detail shows how the teeth fit into the bone. This drawing would be very useful in an artistic study of the human face and the underlying skeletal structures and how they work together. The style of the drawing is very accurate and attractive. It brings to mind poor Yorick of Shakespeare’s tale. The skull is clearly that of a modern human, but it’s ethnicity is not clear from the image. Artistic touches, such as the book that the main skull rests on are a nice addition that reminds me of the Grey’s Anatomy book that I often used as reference in my drawing human forms class in college.
03.12.10
This pencil sketch reveals the anatomy of the human jaw, as well as its teeth, by presenting a skull entire and from the front, then the bottom of the skull with the jaw bone and teeth removed. The jaw is depicted separately, as are the teeth. Originally in pencil, this image is likely taken from a medical or dentistry text book of more than a century ago; its purpose is likely medical, or at least to assuage a scientific curiosity of the reader. Each item is labeled as a “Figure” and was probably referenced in the text in order to clarify an explanation. The feel of the diagram is clinical, but it lack a good deal of the clinical detachment put to work in modern models; the skull, for example, is not a general drawing, but something specific. It is, disturbingly, propped up on a book. There is little doubt that the artist drew directly from the source, touching the skull as it sat on a table, watching as the doctor took it apart, or, if he was the author, taking it apart himself to lay the bones out for better explanation. Overall, it is a rather disturbing image when one considers this.
03.20.10
Alas, poor Yorick! It is impossible to look at a skull and not think about that line from Shakespeare’s infamous play, Hamlet. The drawing of this skull leads me to believe it is in a medical or biology book/journal. The teeth are drawn in a neat row in the upper right corner, above the skull. There are also cross sections of a couple different types of teeth over to the left of the main skull. Below the drawing of the main skull is an image looking down on, what I assume to be, the same skull. It shows the eye sockets and the upper part of the jaw as if you were looking up from underneath the skull. You can even see where the spinal column connects to the skull. Over to the right are drawings of the lower jaw. It, too, has been cross sectioned so you can see how everything fits together. At the very bottom of the image are some small bits and pieces of bone. I assume they are small bones and joints from the jawbone. All of the parts of the skull are labeled, including the various cross sections around it. Looking at this drawing, you can see why they refer to skulls as grinning!
03.20.10
This image takes me back to my days working and teaching in an osteology lab. We used so many drawings and diagrams just like this! This image is a black and white graphite drawing on paper. The image is comprised of different views of a skull, mandible and teeth. The drawing is done in the style of an anatomical diagram, with cross-hatching used to give the objects depth. In the upper left, a set of 16 teeth is labeled as “Fig. 4.” The teeth themselves are labeled either ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’. In the center left, “Fig. 6″ shows different cross-sections of a tooth above “Fig. 7,” an enlarged tooth, showing more detail. In the center right, is “Fig. 1,” a front view of an articulated skull and mandible that rests on top of a book. The skull is lettered in various spots. In the lower left, “Fig. 2″ shows the basal view of a skull. Again, various spots on the skull are lettered. “Fig. 3″ in the lower right shows the underside of a mandible. In the bottom left, “Fig. 8″ shows the cusp detail of teeth. In the bottom right, “Fig. 5″ shows a detailed section of a mandible without teeth. The mandible section is lettered in various spots.