Degree of Ossification of a Five-Month-Old Fetus (Degré d'ossification d'un Foetus de cinq mois)
1898
Medium
Gelatin silver print with applied india ink or watercolor
Dimensions
Image/paper: 31.5 × 23.3 cm (12 7/16 × 9 3/16 in.)
Classification
platinum print
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
147149
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In late 1895, physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen inadvertently discovered a form of radiation that exposed photographic plates; as electromagnetic waves passed through opaque materials, they left behind shadowy images. He termed them X-rays, and news of the discovery spread rapidly. For the scientific community, X-rays expanded medical possibilities, allowing doctors to see interior anatomy without surgery. For the general public, these pictures spectacularly revealed places normally invisible to ...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...