Osteology

Finding new ways to display human skeletons for study and to highlight the differences in form and structure that tell of their lives.

​

Selected framed prints now available on etsy

If you have a favourite picture not listed for sale, contact me!

bones of the hand
strung skeletal hand echoing the Vesalius dissections peeling back the tendons
hand and foot
strung hand and foot echoing the Vesalius dissections peeling back the tendons
bones of the lower arm
strung skeletal hand echoing the Vesalius dissections peeling back the tendons
cranial nerves beneath
three views tracing the path of cranial nerves through the skull
cranial nerves front
three views tracing the path of cranial nerves through the skull
cranial nerves side
three views tracing the path of cranial nerves through the skull
cranial shapes in profile
comparing skull shapes in a boxed "cabinet of curiosity" format
cranial frontal side and inside skull
skulls from front, side and back, in a line up
cranial shapes face on
comparing skull shapes in a boxed "cabinet of curiosity" format
spine base
segments of the skeleton isolated to show the geometric shapes of the bones
neck and shoulder
segments of the skeleton isolated to show the geometric shapes of the bones
spine and ribs
segments of the skeleton isolated to show the geometric shapes of the bones
disarticulated skull left
three views of a skull in balance to give a feel of the weight distribution of the bones
disarticulated skull back
three views of a skull in balance to give a feel of the weight distribution of the bones
disarticulated skull right
three views of a skull in balance to give a feel of the weight distribution of the bones
bones of finger
laid out with labels, but referencing ouija boards and psychic medium images
arm bones
laid out with labels, but referencing ouija boards and psychic medium images
wrist bones
laid out with labels, but referencing ouija boards and psychic medium images
foot bones front
isolating the feet to see the arches, but suggesting something else
foot bones from behind
isolating the feet to see the arches, but suggesting something else
foot bones profile
isolating the feet to see the arches, but suggesting something else
pelvis with bad repair
with flesh, but without clothes, these images would be pornographic
pelvis side view with damage
with flesh, but without clothes, these images would be pornographic
pelvis thin bone cracks
with flesh, but without clothes, these images would be pornographic
skull bone thickness sphenoid
thin areas of bone in the eye, accessed for lobotomies
skull
a standard beauty shot angle of a skull
skull bone thickness
thin areas on the side of the skull showing artery pathways
brain case bissected
suspended skull to show the balance point
brain case
suspended skull to show the balance point, but also suggesting a basket
brain case showing zygomatic arch
suspended skull to show the balance point
Show More
Finding new ways to display human skeletons for study and to highlight the differences in form and structure that tell of their lives.

Historic anatomy illustrations mixed intricate detail with artistic licence. Skeletons were shown standing, lifelike, no doubt achieved by propping and hanging the cadavers in place for the artist to accuratey depict. Some illustrations transport the dead into a landscape or emotive scene; others unabashedly show a dead thing; the pins, strings and probes in position, showing every detail, sometimes even the dead man's face. Many illustrations struggle between balancing labelling the anatomy and leaving the picture uncluttered.

This series of images mixes artistic poses with comparative layouts, labelling and strings. It is rare for the public to be able to view a variety of skeletons together in order to learn how the subtle differences that tell experts the sex, age and life history of the person. To an experienced eye, they will reveal hints of the life lived by the skeleton. They even show the damage that these dated anatomical specimens have sustained, raising the question of how long they will last, and if they will be replaced with anything but identical plastic facsimiles that lack the individuality of a life history.
​
More discussion on this topic in this blog post.
foot bones profile

isolating the feet to see the arches, but suggesting something else