Anatomische afbeelding 1785

This is Robbert Muys’s "Anatomische afbeelding," made sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. The Enlightenment saw an increased interest in scientific inquiry, but consider that these anatomical studies often relied on bodies acquired through means that disproportionately affected marginalized communities. What power dynamics are at play when science advances through the exploitation or commodification of certain bodies? How does this intersect with race and class? Muys's detailed rendering invites us to reflect on the human body as both a subject of scientific study and a site of identity and lived experience. While the pursuit of knowledge is presented as objective, it is often inseparable from deeply entrenched social inequalities.