About this sheet
Original Antique Anatomical Print of Human Skin by Bertuch, c. 1800
Original antique hand-colored copper engraving illustrating the structure and anatomy of human skin and related microscopic structures, published in Friedrich Justin Bertuch’s celebrated “Bilderbuch für Kinder” around the beginning of the 19th century.
The plate is titled “Verm. Gegenst. XXXIV / Mélanges XXXIV” and presents a series of enlarged anatomical and microscopic diagrams intended to explain the complex structure of the skin.
Fig. 1 shows a greatly enlarged section with its various layers and structures individually identified by letters. The accompanying figures provide further magnified details of microscopic structures, membranes and components associated with the skin.
Particularly striking is the large diagram at the bottom, showing a highly magnified cross-section composed of numerous elongated structures above a network-like underlying layer. The restrained original hand coloring in pink, red, gray and green was used to distinguish the different anatomical elements.
The plate provides a fascinating insight into the development of anatomical and microscopic knowledge around 1800, when increasingly sophisticated microscopes allowed European scientists to investigate structures of the human body that had previously been difficult to observe.
The engraving bears the signature “Jacob H. Schmuzer” at lower right.
Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822) was a German publisher, writer and patron of the arts. His monumental “Bilderbuch für Kinder” (Picture Book for Children) was one of the great illustrated educational encyclopedias of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Published in Weimar from 1790 onward, the work contained hundreds of finely engraved and hand-colored plates covering natural history, anatomy, science, technology, geography, antiquity and numerous other subjects.
An unusual early scientific illustration with particular appeal to collectors of medical history, anatomy, microscopy and early scientific imagery.
Creator:
Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822)
Source:
Bilderbuch für Kinder
Plate:
Vermischte Gegenstände XXXIV / Mélanges XXXIV
Place of Publication:
Weimar, Germany
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1800
Period:
Early 19th Century
Style:
Neoclassical – In the Period of
Medium:
Original hand-colored copper engraving on paper
Condition:
Good. Wear consistent with age and use. Light age-related toning and scattered minor spotting and marks. Minor marginal wear and edge irregularities. Original hand coloring remains attractive. Please refer to the photographs for further details of condition.
Please note:
This is an original antique print from circa 1800, not a modern reproduction. The print is sold unframed. Framed images or interior views, if shown, are for presentation and inspiration only.
