The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp

A Canvas of Firsts

In 1632, a young Rembrandt van Rijn, newly arrived in Amsterdam, created what would become one of his early masterpieces: "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp." This oil painting, now housed in the Mauritshuis in The Hague, was originally commissioned by the Amsterdam Surgeons Guild and hung prominently in their meeting room. It immediately signaled a new talent in the city.

The Scene Unfolds

The painting depicts the esteemed Dr. Nicolaes Tulp explaining the musculature of the arm to a group of seven attentive doctors. Each of these spectators paid a commission to be included, reflecting the era's practice of collective portraiture. Look closely at the top-left corner: the signature 'Rembrant. fecit 1632' marks a pivotal moment, perhaps the first time Rembrandt signed a work with his full given name, a bold declaration of artistic confidence.

An Annual Spectacle

The event depicted in the painting can be precisely dated to January 31, 1632. In 17th-century Amsterdam, the Guild of Surgeons, with Dr. Tulp as its official City Anatomist, was permitted only one public dissection per year. For this rare and significant event, the body used had to be that of an executed criminal, adding another layer of societal drama to the scientific undertaking.

Anatomy lessons during this period were not just academic exercises; they were major social events. Held in specially designed lecture halls—often called 'theatres'—they drew students, colleagues, and even the general public, who paid an entrance fee. The formal attire of the doctors in Rembrandt's painting reminds us that this was indeed a respectable and public occasion.

Every five to ten years, the Surgeon's Guild would commission a leading artist for such a portrait. Rembrandt, at just 25, landed this prestigious assignment soon after moving to Amsterdam—his very first major commission in the city. The central figures, like Dr. Tulp, likely paid significantly more than the peripheral ones, underscoring their status and prominence within the guild.

Rembrandt's Bold Innovation

Rembrandt's portrayal wasn't merely a group portrait; it was a radical departure from tradition. He placed a full-length corpse dramatically in the center, using iconography reminiscent of Christ figures, and crafted a vivid mise-en-scène rather than a static pose. This bold choice created a dynamic narrative, elevating the painting beyond a simple record of individuals.

Artistic license was also at play. In a typical 17th-century anatomy lesson, a surgeon would begin by dissecting the chest cavity, as internal organs decayed most rapidly. Rembrandt, however, chose to focus on the arm. Noticeably absent are any cutting instruments, and the crucial figure of the 'preparator'—who would have performed the messy initial dissection—is also missing. Instead, a large anatomical textbook, possibly Andreas Vesalius's groundbreaking 1543 'De humani corporis fabrica,' lies open at the lower right, serving as a silent guide.

The Corpse: Aris Kindt

The subject of the dissection was Aris Kindt, also known as Adriaan Adriaanszoon, an executed criminal who had been hanged earlier on the same day as the lesson. Rembrandt depicts his face partially shaded, a technique called 'umbra mortis' or 'shadow of death'—a chilling detail the artist would frequently employ to convey mortality.

A fascinating detail, proposed by art historian Jean-Marie Clarke, suggests that the corpse's navel is subtly shaped like a capital 'R.' This observation is intriguing given that Rembrandt was experimenting with his signature at this time, eventually settling on his famous first-name only form by 1633. Was this a playful, hidden signature—a secret nod to the artist himself?

The unfortunate Aris Kindt has even found his way into modern literature. He features prominently in W. G. Sebald's 1999 novel "The Rings of Saturn" and Laird Hunt's 2006 novel "The Exquisite." More recently, journalist Nina Siegal delved into his criminal history, using Amsterdam archives to reconstruct his life for her 2014 historical fiction novel, "The Anatomy Lesson."

Medical specialists have often praised the young Rembrandt's anatomical accuracy, particularly concerning the muscles and tendons. Yet, precisely how he acquired such knowledge remains a mystery; he may have referenced anatomical textbooks. However, a 2006 Dutch study, which meticulously recreated the scene with a cadaver, did reveal several discrepancies between the painted forearm and a real human arm.

One long-standing enigma was the mysterious white cord running along the cadaver's little finger. For years, it was debated whether it was an anatomical variant or an artistic error. A 2007 study by artist and anatomist David J. Jackowe finally provided an answer, concluding it was most likely the tendon of a rare variant forearm muscle, the accessory abductor digiti minimi.

Echoes and Influences

Rembrandt himself revisited the theme with "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Deijman" in 1656. Dr. Deijman was Tulp's direct successor, and this later painting was also meant for Amsterdam's Anatomical Hall. Sadly, much of this work was lost to a fire in 1723, with only a central fragment surviving today, leaving us to wonder about its full glory.

The painting's influence stretched across centuries and continents. Around 1856, the French artist Édouard Manet visited The Hague and created a small oil-on-panel copy of "The Anatomy Lesson." Broadly painted with a restrained palette, Manet later gifted his homage to his own physician, François Siredey.

Another, less detailed copy of Rembrandt's masterpiece, created by an unknown artist, resides in Edinburgh, forming part of The University of Edinburgh Fine Art Collection. These copies attest to the enduring power and appeal of Rembrandt's original composition.

Later, American artist Thomas Eakins explored similar themes in his monumental works, "The Gross Clinic" (1875) and "The Agnew Clinic" (1889). These paintings, while depicting operations on live patients, share Rembrandt's dedication to capturing the gravitas of medical instruction and the human drama within it.

In 2010, the South African artist Yiull Damaso ignited controversy with a parody of the painting, featuring prominent South African figures. Nelson Mandela was depicted as the cadaver, with Nkosi Johnson as the instructor and various political leaders as students. The African National Congress strongly condemned the artwork, deeming it disrespectful, racist, and culturally insensitive, especially regarding the depiction of living people as dead.

More recently, Susan Dorothea White's 2012 painting, "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Freeman," offers a contemporary reimagining. It references Rembrandt's composition but places the onlookers as anatomical prosections and skeletons in a modern university lab, replacing the old textbook with a computer screen, and even correcting the tendon orientation in the cadaver's left forearm found inaccurate in the original.