Onderdeel van het menselijk lichaam met een afwijking 1836 - 1912

Isaac Weissenbruch rendered this drawing of a malformed human organ in the late 19th century. Immediately striking is the anatomical anomaly, but it is the tiny asterisks scattered around the image that catch my eye, little stars in a medical firmament. These stars, usually symbols of guidance or fate, here highlight the unknown, the pathological. They call to mind the star-charts of ancient mariners, now repurposed to navigate the uncharted territories of the human body. Consider how, for centuries, stars have guided us, influenced our myths, and directed our destinies, becoming intertwined with human emotion and aspiration. But here, in Weissenbruch's clinical study, they become unsettling, reflecting the uncertain and somewhat ominous nature of medical science. Their presence encourages a deep reflection on our human vulnerability to the unknown, mirroring a collective anxiety we carry within our cultural memory. Thus the stars, once symbols of hope, flicker in this context with the disquieting light of human frailty.