Menselijk bekken met een breuk in het bot 1836 - 1912

This anatomical drawing of a human pelvis with a bone fracture was created by Isaac Weissenbruch. The artist delineates the bone structure with the precision and care of a surgeon. Consider how the pelvis, as a symbol, has journeyed through art history. In ancient fertility rites, it represented life and the generative power of the earth, often depicted in female idols with exaggerated hips. Yet, here, the cracked bone introduces a counter-narrative, a poignant reminder of mortality and fragility. The image evokes a visceral response, a confrontation with the body's vulnerability that perhaps reflects our own subconscious anxieties about decay. This symbol, so deeply rooted in both life and death, continues to resonate, evolving through cultural expressions, medical illustrations, and artistic representations. A fractured pelvis—a memento mori for the modern age.