"We are going to incise the muscles, saw the bones, in a word, heal the sick" from Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals 1832 - 1852

This lithograph from J.J. Grandville’s *Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals* is a humorous and satirical depiction of a doctor shark operating on a patient fish. Grandville was a French artist known for his whimsical caricatures and social commentary. This print satirizes the medical field with its anthropomorphic animal characters and absurdist situation. The scene is full of detail, with the doctor's instruments, the patient's bed, and a menagerie of animals observing the procedure. The title, "We are going to incise the muscles, saw the bones, in a word, heal the sick," adds to the humorous commentary on the absurdity of medical practices. This work exemplifies Grandville's distinctive style and his ability to use animal characters to critique human society.