Opgespannen stuk kronkeldarm met een zweer door tuberculose before 1879

This image titled "Opgespannen stuk kronkeldarm met een zweer door tuberculose," or "Tensed piece of ileum with a tuberculous ulcer" was created by E.J. Ward. The print’s visual impact comes from the stark contrast of light and shadow, a direct result of the photographic process used. But it’s the subject matter that truly grabs our attention: a diseased piece of human intestine. The process of preparing such a specimen for photography would have been painstaking, requiring both medical expertise and a craftsman's attention to detail. This wasn't art for art's sake. It was a tool, created through specialized labor and circulated for educational purposes. It reflects a time when medical knowledge was rapidly advancing, and visual documentation played a vital role. By elevating a scientific tool to the level of art, we can confront the uncomfortable realities of the human body, and question our own understanding of what constitutes art.