The Anatomy Lesson

The Anatomy Lesson


Initiator and curator

The Anatomy Lesson, named after a famous painting by Rembrandt, dealt with the history of the body. We developed content and screen boards for a large touchscreen table around which eight or nine people could play an interactive game in which they discovered various aspects of the history of the human body. The content, which included film footage, paintings, drawings and animation, was presented to the players in routes that were based on themes such as love, religion, medical science, discoveries, famous body parts, etc. Players (and the audience that gathered around the table) were invited to learn about a host of topics including medical discoveries through the ages, the supposed location of the soul, changing views on the perfect body, and the social history of love. The project was aimed at a broad audience and scheduled to open at various hospitals.

After the demise of the Museum of National History, Corpus Leiden took over the project.

The Anatomy Lesson was a collaborative project with ZonMw, and the Team of the Museum of National History,
Funding: Mondriaan Foundation.