Artwork
Sheep embryo
Sheep embryo is a drawing by J Tinkelenberg. It dates from 1970 and is held in the collection of the Leiden University Libraries.
About this work
This delicate drawing shows a tiny sheep embryo, no bigger than a fingernail.
This delicate drawing shows a tiny sheep embryo, no bigger than a fingernail. It’s done in ink with careful lines and dots. The artist wrote “1523” and “sheep embryo” in the corner.
This isn’t just art—it’s a scientific record. Someone wanted to document life before cameras existed. Tiny marks like cross-hatching and stippling show texture and depth.
See this for yourself at the Museum of Ethnography.
Overview
This drawing depicts a sheep embryo, measuring approximately 9mm in size. Created in 1523, it is an early example of scientific illustration.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a tiny sheep embryo, rendered in precise detail. The drawing serves as a record of embryonic development, predating the use of photography for such purposes.
Technique & Style
Executed in ink, the drawing employs techniques such as cross-hatching and stippling to convey texture and depth. The artist's use of careful lines and dots achieves a high level of detail.
History & Provenance
The drawing is dated 1523 and bears an inscription identifying the subject as a 'sheep embryo'. It is currently housed at the Museum of Ethnography.
Artist & collection
Artist
This artist carved and painted the hidden systems we carry inside. Their sculptures trace the bend and flow of joints and veins in delicate wire or clay, while watercolors map the first threads of life in an embryo.…
Compoziție cu fanioane
Skull of a feline seen from below
Poltstichum munitum
Untitled
Glands of internal secretion
Muscular tissue of a lizards left claw
Symphytum officianale
Musculoskeletal system of the hand
Riesenblattlaus (Giant Aphid) from Deutsche Graphiker der Gegenwart (German Printmakers of Our Time)
Untitled