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Table IV, Tabulae Sceleti et Musculorum Corporis Humani
Bernhard Siegfried Albinus and Jan Wandelaar
The images in Tabulae Sceleti et Musculorum Corporis Humani are known for their scientific accuracy as well as their artistry. Albinus and engraver Jan Wandelaar worked together for decades to produce the images for Albinus’ works. They used a mesh grid in front of the specimen to ensure accuracy and proportion. Wandelaar added detailed backgrounds that give the specimens a lifelike quality, even adding shadows under the skeleton’s feet.
One of the most famous images from Tabulae Sceleti et Musculorum Corporis Humani includes Miss Clara the Rhino. Miss Clara was the pet of a Dutch East India Company employee, who sent her to Europe in 1741. It had been nearly 200 years since a rhino had been in Europe, and she quickly became a celebrity. She appears in several paintings of the period, and Wandelaar likely added her as a novelty.
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