The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp
The artist
Rembrandt van Rijn, a Dutch master famous for his warm light and lifelike faces.
What you see
A group of doctors in dark clothes gather closely to learn about how the human body works during a science lesson.
The story
Painted in 1632, it shows a real teaching doctor, Dr. Tulp, explaining the body to eager students so they could become healers.
The style
Rembrandt lit the scene like a spotlight, so the faces glow out of the shadows and each person looks alive.
Look closer
Notice how every student turns a different way, some watching the lesson and some looking at us, as if we just walked in.
Where to see it
It hangs in the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, in the Netherlands.
Fun fact
Rembrandt was only about 26 years old when he painted this, and it helped make him famous.