Frederik Ruysch

Frederik Ruysch’s anatomical still lifes, which included human remains artistically displayed in woodland settings, shocked many of his contemporaries.

In this short talk Cat Irving, Human Remains Conservator at Surgeons’ Hall Museums, discusses Ruysch’s anatomical work, his midwifery teaching and his innovative techniques of specimen preparation. His most renowned achievement, however, was his immense cabinet of curiosities which both fascinated and repulsed those who saw it.