The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp(fragment) 1632

This fragment is taken from Rembrandt van Rijn’s oil on canvas painting "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp." Painted in 1632, this work portrays an anatomy lesson being given by Dr. Tulp, a prominent surgeon and city anatomist of Amsterdam. The image captures a moment in which the convergence of science, civic life, and the social status of its time were reflected. The painting is a staged performance of scientific inquiry in which only white men are allowed to participate, and the identities of the individuals present are inextricably linked to their gender, race and class. Rembrandt masterfully captures the tension between the cold, clinical observation of the human body and the expressions of curiosity of the audience. The gaze of the men are all directed towards the dissected corpse, creating a triangle of observation and reinforcing the gendered and racial dynamics of the time. It is a reminder of the historical exclusion of marginalized communities from spaces of knowledge and power, which speaks to the ongoing work needed to challenge and dismantle these systems of inequality.