Surgeons alongside physician Tulp - Annotation
This post discusses two image documents:
Van Rijn, Rembrandt. The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. 1632. Mauritshuis Museum, The Hague, Netherlands. Rembrand Huis. Museum Het RembrandtHuis. Web. 30 July 2017.
Vasilopoulos, Nysos. Dimitris Papaioannou Recent Photos. 2017. The Great Tamer, Avignon. Facebook. Web. 30 July 2017.
In this portrait, we see seven surgeons alongside physician Tulp cutting into a man's arm. This is part of a series of group portraits of a similar description with the first dating back to 1603. The central motif for drawing such portraits is an anatomy lesson with the protagonist being the reader. it shows the autopsy done on executed criminals; in this case, it is Adriaen het Kint. The second photograph is a representation of the first in the Great Tamer which is a performance that took place in the 2017 Avignon Festival. This particular painting has been praised for its artistic achievements with its well thought out composition. The surgeons had to wear specific attire and pay a fee to enter the anatomy lesson. This is the painting which The Great Tamer referenced in their performance. In the performance, however, there was a significant diversion when the surgeons (actors) started eating the organs rather than studying them. The implications from such a decision are very thought provoking and are solid proof of how effective post-dramatic theatre can be. There was no explanation or dramatic text involved, but the movement, acting, and structure of the show within historical and cultural context which the performance dramaturgy made use of was insightful.
