A System of Anatomical Plates of the Human Body, vol. 2

Art Historical Context

This remarkable volume, *A System of Anatomical Plates of the Human Body, vol. 2*, published in London between 1822 and 1826, represents a pinnacle of early nineteenth-century medical. Created through the collaborative efforts of publishers including Daniel Lizars, John Lizars, and William Home Lizars, the book features meticulously rendered plates combining engraving, hand-coloring, and early lithography. These techniques allowed for precise anatomical detail while bringing vivid realism to the human form, making complex structures accessible to students and practitioners alike. In an era when medical education relied heavily on visual aids, such anatomical atlases bridged science and art. The hand-colored engravings highlight muscles, organs, and skeletal elements with remarkable clarity, reflecting the period’s growing emphasis on empirical observation. The work’s presence in the Metropolitan Museum’s Drawings and Prints collection underscores its dual value as both a scientific resource and a fine example of graphic artistry. Donated by Lincoln Kirstein in 1953, the volume invites viewers to appreciate how these plates advanced both anatomical knowledge and the craft of printmaking during the Romantic age.

About the Artist

W. H. Highley, London|Daniel Lizars|John Lizars|William Home Lizars|William Curry and Co. (British|British|American|British, Scottish|Irish) · 1800 |1760 |1787 |1788 |1800 –1900 |1812 |1860 |1859 |1900

|British, 1760–1812|American, 1787?–1860|British, Edinburgh, Scotland 1788–1859 Galashiels|Dublin