Artwork
Muscular tissue of the hand or fingers
Muscular tissue of the hand or fingers is a drawing by H.G, Wetselaar. It dates from 1970 and is held in the collection of the Leiden University Libraries. The work is a detailed drawing of a human hand, rendered in black line on paper.
About this work
Overview
The work is a detailed drawing of a human hand, rendered in black line on paper. The artist’s signature, WETSELAAR, appears beneath the image, confirming authorship. The composition isolates the hand, emphasizing its anatomical structure through precise line work that maps tendons, bones, and muscular contours.
Subject & Meaning
Rather than a decorative representation, the drawing serves as an anatomical study, concentrating on the interplay of muscle, tendon, and bone that enables grip. By isolating these elements, the artist highlights the functional mechanics of the hand, inviting viewers to consider the physicality of movement over aesthetic idealisation.
Technique & Style
Executed with bold, continuous lines, the drawing traces the hand’s skeletal and muscular framework with a clarity that suggests careful observation. The use of thick strokes delineates major tendons and bone outlines, while finer lines render subtle muscular detail, creating a sense of three‑dimensional form on a two‑dimensional surface.
Context
The piece is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, where other works by H.G. Wetselaar are displayed. Its inclusion alongside ethnographic material underscores the artist’s interest in the human body as a subject of scientific and artistic inquiry, reflecting a broader 19th‑century fascination with anatomical precision.
Artist & collection
Artist
H.G. Wetselaar spent his days hunched over microscopes in a quiet Leiden lab, sketching what most people ignore. His pencil caught the raw architecture of bodies we pretend are smooth—like the knotted muscles of a…
Muscular tissue of the hand or fingers
Muscular tissue of the hand and finger
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Muscular tissue of the finger
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