Skull
Photograph
ca.1880-1885 (photographed)
ca.1880-1885 (photographed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This skull seems to float in space and parts have been removed. It was mounted on a wooden panel and prepared for teaching purposes. It shows the right side of an adolescent (or young adult) human female skull. The out-bone of the right side of the maxilla and the corpus mandibulae have been removed to reveal the roots of the teeth and unerupted teeth.
The photograph may be of a skull kept in the Royal College of Surgeons in London, because the mode of preparation is typical of that college. The photograph was printed in black ink by the photogravure process, a high-quality reproductive technique introduced in 1879. This provides an arresting quality. The work has now become more a poetic symbol or image rather than a teaching aid for students of dentistry, thus transcending its original purpose.
The photograph may be of a skull kept in the Royal College of Surgeons in London, because the mode of preparation is typical of that college. The photograph was printed in black ink by the photogravure process, a high-quality reproductive technique introduced in 1879. This provides an arresting quality. The work has now become more a poetic symbol or image rather than a teaching aid for students of dentistry, thus transcending its original purpose.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Skull (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Photogravure |
| Brief description | Anon. Human skull in profile. |
| Physical description | Black and white photograph (actually a photogravure) of a human skull in profile. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Unlimited edition |
| Gallery label | Gallery 100 ‘A History of Photography’, 2014-2015, label text:
Unknown photographer
Skull
About 1880–1900
The female skull in this image was originally used for teaching dentistry. It shows some bone removed to reveal the roots of the teeth. The photograph was printed in black ink by the photogravure process. This high-quality reproductive technique derived from the traditional printmaking process of etching.
Photogravure
Museum no. Ph.957-1902
(06 03 2014) |
| Production | Attribution note: Used for teaching dentistry Reason For Production: Retail |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This skull seems to float in space and parts have been removed. It was mounted on a wooden panel and prepared for teaching purposes. It shows the right side of an adolescent (or young adult) human female skull. The out-bone of the right side of the maxilla and the corpus mandibulae have been removed to reveal the roots of the teeth and unerupted teeth. The photograph may be of a skull kept in the Royal College of Surgeons in London, because the mode of preparation is typical of that college. The photograph was printed in black ink by the photogravure process, a high-quality reproductive technique introduced in 1879. This provides an arresting quality. The work has now become more a poetic symbol or image rather than a teaching aid for students of dentistry, thus transcending its original purpose. |
| Other number | E.1182D-1887 - Previous number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | PH.957-1902 |
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| Record created | February 6, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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