Anatomy lesson of the brain and cerebral membranes captured on canvas by Rembrandt in 1656

Published online in Wiley Online Library ( www.bjs.co.uk ). DOI: 10.1002/bjs.10610 The Anatomy Lesson of Jan Deijman , painted by Rembrandt in 1656, is one of the most extraordinary historical paintings recording an anatomical demonstration of the brain and the cerebral membranes. This painting belongs to the series of group portraits made for the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons in the 17th and 18th centuries. Unfortunately, the painting was seriously damaged by a fire in the boardroom of the Surgeons' Guild in 1723. The original painting once measured at least five times the size of what is left of it today after large pieces of burned canvas had to be removed during the restoration process. Lying on the dissection table is the body of an executed criminal. Doctor Deijman, lecturer in anatomy of the Surgeons' Guild, is standing behind the corpse while performing the anatomical dissection. The abdominal organs have been removed, and the brain and cerebral membranes are about to be dissected. The nature of the depicted anatomical structures was assessed recently. This revealed that, by showing the falx cerebri, Rembrandt at the same time probably concealed a memento mori message in his masterpiece. Read more about the stories behind this masterpiece in an essay online .