Exhibition Review: The Body Inside and Out

In my last (far too distant post) I told you about an exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC called The Body Inside and Out: Anatomical Literature and Art Theory. The exhibit only lasts a short while longer, ending January 23rd, but I made sure to go and can now report back in case you want to hurry and see it this weekend.

The first thing I should mention is that the exhibit is very small with only about seventeen examples of anatomical illustration tucked into a small vestibule. If you do plan on seeing it I suggest asking for directions at the information desk, because the way through the sculpture gallery and various twists and turns is difficult to find simply by wandering and there are few signs.

Once you do find it though it's like a hidden treasure, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Examples include works by Durer, Da Vinci, and one particularly detailed frontispiece by Boucher that I loved. The catalogue is available online here, and can tell you far more about the specific illustrations than I could remember on my own.

Have you been to see this exhibit? Let me know what you thought!

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