Animals and Public Anatomy in Early Modern Europe

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Public anatomy, the ceremonial dissection and examination of animals that was performed annually at most European medical schools, was an important part of public culture in the early modern period. Such events not only taught the public what the body looked like, they also entertained, enlightened, bedazzled, and offered moral education to the general public. In a word, anatomical demonstration formed a `moral theatre.` This study will examine how such events used animals to reflect ideas about the human body. More generally, public anatomy will be used as a strategic research site for studying European culture in the transition between religious and secular modes of thought. In such respects the study of public anatomy sheds light on changing modes of thought, explores the relationship between science and the general public, and reveals early antecedents to contemporary concerns about animal experimentation. The study will be based largely on archival research in Britain, France, Italy and the Netherlands, and will produce scholarly articles and a book.