Wragge-Morley, AI;
(2016)
Connoisseurship and the Communication of Anatomical Knowledge: The Case of William Cheselden’s Osteographia (1733).
In: Schaffer, S and Craciun, A, (eds.)
The Material Cultures of Enlightenment Arts and Sciences.
(pp. 271-289).
Palgrave Macmillan: London, UK.
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Abstract
This essay re-examines the connections between connoisseurship and anatomical knowledge in the works of the elite medics of eighteenth-century Britain. These medics, including Richard Mead and William Cheselden, were known both for their medical innovations and for their commitment to the practices of connoisseurship—the collection and criticism of fine art objects. The essay discusses the making, presentation and reception of one such object—the Osteographia (1733), a luxurious anatomical atlas produced by the famous surgeon William Cheselden and sharply criticized by another surgeon, John Douglas. Focusing on how these two surgeons engaged with the aesthetic and material qualities of the book, Wragge-Morley identifies hitherto overlooked connections between the much-contested discourses and practices of medical knowledge and connoisseurship.
| Type: | Book chapter |
|---|---|
| Title: | Connoisseurship and the Communication of Anatomical Knowledge: The Case of William Cheselden’s Osteographia (1733) |
| ISBN-13: | 978-1-137-44579-7 |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1057/978-1-137-44379-3_34 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-44379-3_34 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Eighteenth Century, Chapter VIII, Anatomical Knowledge, Conspicuous Consumption, Anatomical Atlas |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10084316 |
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