Elf aangezichten van een konijnenschedel before 1874

This is a page from a book created by Bernhard von Gudden, and features various views of a rabbit skull. Likely a lithograph or similar printmaking technique, the image is about exacting observation and mechanical reproduction. Note how the artist focuses on the object from multiple angles. This is an approach that has its roots in the scientific method, which seeks complete understanding of the subject through rigorous observation and documentation. The choice of medium also points to this ambition. Printing enabled the widespread dissemination of information, an essential aspect of scientific progress. Yet there is also something slightly unsettling about the image. The skulls, arranged in a grid, take on an almost uncanny quality. We are reminded of the transience of life, and the way that even the most familiar objects can become strange when subjected to intense scrutiny. This work shows how even scientific illustrations carry cultural meaning, blurring any supposed line between art and science.