One can easily imagine that either Tulp or Rembrandt, feeling that a stump in this prominent place would attract too much attention, decided to add the hand. Aris Kindt, an inveterate thief, undoubtedly lost this hand as a result of a previous conviction. X-radiograph examination of the painting has revealed that Rembrandt originally painted only a stump instead of a hand.
The right hand of Aris Kindt’s body exhibits a slight discoloration relative to the rest of the body.
It is tempting to conjecture that Tulp may have wanted to emulate his illustrious predecessor and therefore asked Rembrandt to portray him while working on an arm. The frontispiece of a standard work on human anatomy, De humani corporis fabrica (1543) by the German anatomist Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564), contains a portrait of the author holding a dissected arm. It must certainly have been Tulp’s choice to be depicted while starting the dissection by opening up an arm and a hand – in other words, departing from customary practice. Initially the surgeon seen at the top of the painting, Frans van Loenen, also wore a hat, but Rembrandt painted it out – at Tulp’s request, perhaps? A vague shadow where this hat originally appeared recalls this alteration. This is immediately obvious to the viewers from his prominent position, which is emphasised by the niche with the shell-shaped crowning element behind his back, creating the impression that he is seated on a throne. Nicolaes Tulp is in many respects the most important man in this portrait. The man bending over forwards is a brilliant invention, which introduces still more movement into the group and subtly emphasises the physicians’ concentrated attention. Instead, each guild member focuses his gaze on a different point inside or outside the picture frame, creating a far livelier composition. He also decided to abandon the custom of having the sitters gaze straight out of the picture at the viewers. He moved away from the customary horizontal, rather static grouping of the surgeons and opted for a pyramidal arrangement in which the lecturer Tulp occupies the entire right half of the scene while the doctors watching the demonstration take up the left half. Rembrandt’s group portrait is far more dynamic than any of them. Rembrandt had undoubtedly seen how his predecessors had depicted these demonstrations, since in 1632 there were three anatomy pieces (dating from 1603, 16) hanging in the guild’s offices. The body made available for this event was that of Adriaen Adriaensz, also known as Aris Kindt, a confirmed criminal who had been sentenced to death for robbery and hanged. In 1632 he had himself immortalised together with a few guild members who contributed towards the fee. Nicolaes Tulp (1593-1674) was appointed praelector in 1628, in which capacity he gave nine public lectures between 16. To minimise the stench, the classes were taught in the cold winter months.Įvery few years a painter was commissioned to produce an anatomy piece to commemorate one of these demonstrations, perhaps following the appointment of a new praelector or the enrolment of several new members. Anatomy lessons might last for days: the abdominal cavity and the perishable bowels would be dissected first, followed by the head and limbs. The praelector or overseer of the guild would lecture, while the public – anatomy students and laypeople alike – could watch for a fee. They were organised by the surgeons’ guild and in Rembrandt’s day they were held in an anatomy theatre in De Waag, Amsterdam’s weighing house. The painting firmly established Rembrandt’s name as a portraitist.Īnatomy demonstrations were held in Amsterdam from 1555 onwards. The surgeons’ prestigious commission provided a unique opportunity to become known among art-lovers’ circles in Amsterdam, and the painter did not allow this chance to pass. The painting was made in 1632, shortly after the artist’s move from the town of Leiden to Amsterdam. The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp is one of Rembrandt’s most impressive group portraits.
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