Name: The Anatomy Lesson
ISBN: 9780385538367

Nina Siegal

A debut historical novel by the founding editor of Time Out Amsterdam reimagines the story of a famous Rembrandt painting, describing the aftermath of a fateful medical dissection attended by the philosopher Descartes and the Dutch master, whose composition approach is changed in fundamental ways. 60,000 first printing.

A Novel

The Anatomy Lesson

Set in one day in 1632, The Anatomy Lesson is a stunning portrayal of Golden Age Amsterdam and a brilliantly imagined back-story to Rembrandt's first great work of art. Told from several points of view, ranging from a curio dealer who collects bodies for the city’s chief anatomist to philosopher Rene Descartes, the novel opens on the morning of the medical dissection that is to be recorded by the twenty-six-year-old artist from Leiden who has yet to attach his famous signature to a painting. As the story builds to its dramatic and inevitable conclusion, the events that transpire throughout the day sway Rembrandt to make fundamental changes to his initial composition. These changes will remain mysteries for centuries until a young art historian closely examines the painting in the twenty-first century, and makes surprising discoveries about the painter, his process, and his genius for capturing enduring truths about human nature in a single moment.

The Anatomy Lesson A Novel

Reviews

Highlights