Johann Michael Seligmann after Jan van Rymsdyk, Demonstrations of a Pregnant Uterus of a Woman at Her Full Term, Plate VI, ca. 1761, Mezzotint, 24 3/8 in. x 17 7/8 in. (61.9 cm x 45.4 cm), Museum purchase The Dorothy Johnston Towne (Class of 1923) Fund 2010.105.5

Five 1761 prints at the Davis Museum at Wellesley College, created using the mezzotint technique, once illustrated an anatomy manual used to train midwives. The virtual exhibition Anatomical Mezzotints and Midwifery in the Mid-18th Century explores these works in the context of the evolving relationship between art and medical science. As male midwives emerged and obstetrics became more surgical, anatomical illustration served to assert scientific authority. This exhibition invites viewers to consider how knowledge, artistry, and the human body were represented—and sometimes dehumanized—in the pursuit of progress. Curated by 2024 Liliane Pingoud Soriano ’49 Curatorial Fellow Marie Flon, the exhibition is now available on Google Arts and Culture.

Visit the Google Arts & Culture online Exhibition here.