Binnenkant van het bovenste gedeelte van het dijbeen van iemand van 103 before 1889

This print depicts a close-up of the interior of a human femur, the thigh bone of a 103-year-old person. While we don’t know the photographer or the date, it’s clear that the image was produced through a meticulous, scientific process. The bone’s texture and structure are emphasized, becoming the central focus. The decision to slice through the bone reveals its inner complexity, its density and organic pattern laid bare for examination. Photogravure allowed for incredible precision of detail, rendering every nook and cranny of the bone’s cellular architecture with striking clarity. The use of photography in this context blurs the boundaries between art and science. The bone is not only an object of scientific study but also, through the photographer’s lens, a subject of aesthetic contemplation. This print challenges us to consider the artistry inherent in scientific observation, and the beauty to be found in the intricacies of the human body.