Artwork
Surgical procedure on a heart and adjacent organs
Surgical procedure on a heart and adjacent organs is a drawing by H.G, Wetselaar. It dates from 1970 and is held in the collection of the Leiden University Libraries. Created around 1970 by H.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1970 by H.G. Wetselaar, this image depicts a detailed anatomical illustration of a human heart and its surrounding vessels. The work is part of the collection at the Museum of Ethnography and is presented as a visual study rather than a narrative piece.
Subject & Meaning
The illustration presents a transverse section of the heart, exposing the thick muscular walls of its chambers and the major vessels that enter and exit the organ. By exposing these internal structures, the image serves an educational purpose, clarifying the spatial relationships within the cardiovascular system.
Technique & Style
Wetselaar employed precise line work and cross‑hatching to render the texture of muscle tissue and the curvature of blood vessels. The shading, achieved through layered strokes, creates a three‑dimensional effect that emphasizes depth and anatomical accuracy.
History & Provenance
The piece was produced in the early 1970s, a period when scientific illustration was transitioning toward more graphic clarity. It entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings shortly after its creation, where it remains catalogued as part of the institution’s visual anthropology collection.
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…
