Anatomische afbeelding van de penis van een kind 1672

Hendrik Bary made this anatomical depiction of a child's penis sometime between 1640 and 1707. During Bary’s lifetime, Dutch society was grappling with evolving ideas about childhood, education, and the body. Within this small engraving, the focus on a child's genitalia invites us to consider evolving attitudes toward innocence, sexuality, and medical understanding. Anatomical drawings like this served didactic purposes, reflecting a growing interest in scientific inquiry. But, looking at it now, it is impossible not to consider how power and vulnerability intersect when the bodies of children are rendered as objects of study. Consider how the clinical precision of the engraving contrasts with the vulnerability inherent in its subject. Does the artwork maintain traditional representation or develop alternative narratives? It highlights the tension between scientific objectivity and the lived experiences of individuals. It reminds us of the complex layers of meaning embedded in representations of the human body.