The art of printing: assisting and portraying the art of medicine.

Abstract

The subject matter of many masterpieces is linked to medicine and health, such as Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, Goya's Self-Portrait with Doctor Arrieta, or Van Gogh's The Ward in the Hospital at Arles. However, before the age of photography, printing was the medium most closely bound to the art of medicine, both as a learning tool and as a means of recording developments in the field. The simple format of prints-most consist of clearly defined lines in a single colour-facilitates rapid visual understanding of objects, events and periods, and the ease with which they can be reproduced and distributed makes them an ideal means of spreading information.