Tables of the Skeleton and Muscles of the Human Body. Translated from Latin

Date

1746

Identifier

Hist. Coll. WE17 A337

Type

Publisher

London: Woodfall

Abstract

‘This scientific art work is the result of a 20 year collaboration. Scientist Bernhard Seigfried Albinus (1697-1770) and artist Jan Wandelaar (1690-1759) were determined to explain the human body in more detail. Albinus’s quest was to obtain data by measuring multiple bodies, and to construct a composite. Wandelaar used a new drawing technique to help achieve this. Each dissected cadaver was viewed through a grid of squares: first from a distance of 12.6 m (41.2 ft) so that parallel projection could be used without perspective distorting; and then from a distance of 1.3 m (4.1 ft). The gridded drawings were lined up with each other; sight marks were connected, and to obtain full accuracy, compasses and rulers were used to measure.’ Item chosen by Louisa Baillie, University of Otago

Files

cab 18 albinus1.tif

Tags

Citation

Bernhard Siegfried Albinus, “Tables of the Skeleton and Muscles of the Human Body. Translated from Latin,” ourheritage.ac.nz | OUR Heritage, accessed November 6, 2024, https://ourheritage.ac.nz/items/show/11055.