Morbidly beautiful medical illustrations
October 3, 2018 3:54 PM Subscribe
Dr. Frank Netter was a surgeon during the great depression, though as a child growing up in Manhattan, he aspired to be an artist. As it turns out, Netter became both a great artist as well as a doctor [NSFW] […] His use of color is in line with schemes used in classic pulp novel illustration, and he used real patients for his subjects when depicting various medical issues, such as a man suffering the after-effects of a brain injury[…], or what goes on inside the human body during a fit of unbridled rage. [NSFW] Netter’s paintings and illustrations are as remarkable as they are often strange and off-putting at times.
Frank Netter, MD: The Michelangelo of Medicine (Barron H. Lerner, The Atlantic)
Frank Netter, MD: The Michelangelo of Medicine (Barron H. Lerner, The Atlantic)
To generations of medical students, from mine to the present, the name Frank Netter has a magical connotation. He was the doctor who drew the remarkably lifelike images that we all used to learn anatomy. They were so lifelike, we joked, that we trusted them more than what we actually saw in our cadavers or on CAT scans.Doctoring The Craft Of Medical Illustration – The Work Of Frank H. Netter, M.D. [NSFW] (J. J. Sedelmaier, Print)
I first came into contact with the illustrations of Frank Netter while in a small used bookstore in New England 25 years ago. They had a copy of “The CIBA Collection Of Medical Illustrations” from 1948. It’s an unassuming looking oversize volume in a blue cover, but contains a wild spin on what I’d always thought was a clinical, cut and dry world that would only be of interest to doctors, surgeons, and medical students…
The information in the 'rage' image alone is really interesting, not to mention the art...
posted by not_that_epiphanius at 4:09 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by not_that_epiphanius at 4:09 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
"after a misunderstanding wherein Netter asked for $1,500 for a series of 5 pictures and an advertising manager agreed to and paid $1,500 each – $7,500 for the series – Netter gave up the practice of medicine."
/goggles
The piece implies that this was before 1936. That's about ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS in 1936-2018 converted money. Damn. I think I have been paid as much as $25 for a commercial contract illo.
posted by mwhybark at 4:09 PM on October 3, 2018 [10 favorites]
/goggles
The piece implies that this was before 1936. That's about ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS in 1936-2018 converted money. Damn. I think I have been paid as much as $25 for a commercial contract illo.
posted by mwhybark at 4:09 PM on October 3, 2018 [10 favorites]
(The Dangerous Minds piece further implies that the fee was negotiated in 1934.)
posted by mwhybark at 4:11 PM on October 3, 2018
posted by mwhybark at 4:11 PM on October 3, 2018
several years ago I ran across a collection of
Netter-illustrated medical books in a used book store, and was planning on buying the lot until I came across the illustrations of the testes peeled back layer by layer.
CW: testes peeled back layer by layer
posted by logicpunk at 4:11 PM on October 3, 2018 [3 favorites]
Netter-illustrated medical books in a used book store, and was planning on buying the lot until I came across the illustrations of the testes peeled back layer by layer.
CW: testes peeled back layer by layer
posted by logicpunk at 4:11 PM on October 3, 2018 [3 favorites]
well
posted by mwhybark at 4:16 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by mwhybark at 4:16 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
now we know why he made the big bucks
posted by mwhybark at 4:17 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by mwhybark at 4:17 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
Scientific/medical illustrator here. Still use Netter for anatomical reference.
posted by Kabanos at 4:43 PM on October 3, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by Kabanos at 4:43 PM on October 3, 2018 [8 favorites]
what goes on inside the human body during a fit of unbridled rage
WHYYYY I OUGHTA
Seriously, though, his work has a lot of resemblance to Norman Rockwell's in the best way.
posted by Countess Elena at 5:05 PM on October 3, 2018 [6 favorites]
WHYYYY I OUGHTA
Seriously, though, his work has a lot of resemblance to Norman Rockwell's in the best way.
posted by Countess Elena at 5:05 PM on October 3, 2018 [6 favorites]
such as a man suffering the after-effects of a brain injury
oh hey, what do you know, i have a copy of the book this is from! A bookshelf was being removed from a conference room during some renovations and we were told we could take whatever books we wanted by the end of the day and the rest were getting thrown out. I scoured the entire dusty, gross collection and it was mostly crap but I was delighted to find a single original volume from the CIBA collection. but then i brought it home and carefully placed it on my own bookshelf and didn't open it again until just now when you posted this and I realized that particular illustration was probably in it (it is!) thanks for alerting me to this very important gem of an illustration hiding out in my own collection! my only regret is that i didn't manage to find a copy of the volume with the rage diagram.
posted by robotdevil at 5:29 PM on October 3, 2018 [5 favorites]
oh hey, what do you know, i have a copy of the book this is from! A bookshelf was being removed from a conference room during some renovations and we were told we could take whatever books we wanted by the end of the day and the rest were getting thrown out. I scoured the entire dusty, gross collection and it was mostly crap but I was delighted to find a single original volume from the CIBA collection. but then i brought it home and carefully placed it on my own bookshelf and didn't open it again until just now when you posted this and I realized that particular illustration was probably in it (it is!) thanks for alerting me to this very important gem of an illustration hiding out in my own collection! my only regret is that i didn't manage to find a copy of the volume with the rage diagram.
posted by robotdevil at 5:29 PM on October 3, 2018 [5 favorites]
I have a copy of Netter's sitting on my shelf. Only issue I have with his illustrations is that colors are exaggerated for effect -- there are other anatomic atlases which do a much better job at depicting how structures really look in-situ. His work is definitely artful, though.
posted by killdevil at 5:42 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by killdevil at 5:42 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
> Seriously, though, his work has a lot of resemblance to Norman Rockwell's in the best way.
They're both stylistic descendants of the Brandywine School. It was a huge influence on early- to midcentury illustration and an antecedent of the lurid painted illustrations that defined paperback novel cover art.
I have an almost-complete collection of the CIBA collection, all but one volume found at a charity booksale and snaffled up at a price of, I think, $3 per volume. I can't say as I've spent many a wistful hour paging through them, but it is a treat every so often to pick one up just to admire it.
posted by ardgedee at 6:00 PM on October 3, 2018 [5 favorites]
They're both stylistic descendants of the Brandywine School. It was a huge influence on early- to midcentury illustration and an antecedent of the lurid painted illustrations that defined paperback novel cover art.
I have an almost-complete collection of the CIBA collection, all but one volume found at a charity booksale and snaffled up at a price of, I think, $3 per volume. I can't say as I've spent many a wistful hour paging through them, but it is a treat every so often to pick one up just to admire it.
posted by ardgedee at 6:00 PM on October 3, 2018 [5 favorites]
I was introduced to Netter's paintings during massage school, when we were encouraged to buy "The Atlas of Human Anatomy" and use it for reference to learn the muscles. After school, I sold about 90% of the books that I acquired during school, but made sure to keep my copy of Netter. His work is amazing!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:12 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:12 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
several years ago I ran across a collection of
Netter-illustrated medical books in a used book store, and was planning on buying the lot until I came across the illustrations of the testes peeled back layer by layer.
And I assume that clinched the deal? Because momentary squeamishness aside, that is very well done and informative. I thought I knew their anatomy fairly well, possessing a pair myself, and just now learned I'd never grasped the sheer layers of tissue involved in a structure so generally…floppy.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 7:18 PM on October 3, 2018 [6 favorites]
Netter-illustrated medical books in a used book store, and was planning on buying the lot until I came across the illustrations of the testes peeled back layer by layer.
And I assume that clinched the deal? Because momentary squeamishness aside, that is very well done and informative. I thought I knew their anatomy fairly well, possessing a pair myself, and just now learned I'd never grasped the sheer layers of tissue involved in a structure so generally…floppy.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 7:18 PM on October 3, 2018 [6 favorites]
Some really great examples of his work in that article. The "Netter making heartburn look like a death sentence" painting is one of my favorites, though I believe it's depicting chest pain or even a heart attack. It combines like all of the common antecedents: post meal (man is exiting a restaurant), smoker (dropped his cigarette), cold weather (snow), exertion (walking up stairs), older (grey hair), high stress (maybe a salesman with that bag), grasping his chest in pain. It's a concise depiction.
His work is still ubiquitous in medical school anatomy and other medical education. There are anatomy atlases now that are better on the whole, but each of them clearly shows heavy influence from Netter's art, and no one would be poorly served by using an atlas with the Netter name. Many of his illustrations are hard to improve upon, both in terms of the quality of the art and the way the structures are presented for teaching. Layers peeled apart, certain parts made transparent or artistically carved or colored to show what's inside.
I some have qualms with his choices (whenever possible, he painted athletic white men), but Netter's influence on medical illustration is indisputable. His works for Ciba, painting what today we might call infographics of disease presentations, remain remarkable. He wanted his art to teach people.
posted by cyclopticgaze at 7:32 PM on October 3, 2018 [3 favorites]
His work is still ubiquitous in medical school anatomy and other medical education. There are anatomy atlases now that are better on the whole, but each of them clearly shows heavy influence from Netter's art, and no one would be poorly served by using an atlas with the Netter name. Many of his illustrations are hard to improve upon, both in terms of the quality of the art and the way the structures are presented for teaching. Layers peeled apart, certain parts made transparent or artistically carved or colored to show what's inside.
I some have qualms with his choices (whenever possible, he painted athletic white men), but Netter's influence on medical illustration is indisputable. His works for Ciba, painting what today we might call infographics of disease presentations, remain remarkable. He wanted his art to teach people.
posted by cyclopticgaze at 7:32 PM on October 3, 2018 [3 favorites]
I love my Netter's Atlas - I gave away a few of my other anatomical atlases after I finished Gross, but Netter's was the best.
posted by ChuraChura at 7:47 PM on October 3, 2018
posted by ChuraChura at 7:47 PM on October 3, 2018
To be clear, Netter's even *now* is the anatomy atlas used by every medical student, at least in the U.S. I still use mine from time to time to look up stuff in my practice (it still reeks of the formaldehyde from gross anatomy lab 20 years ago). I can't think of another single person who has had a greater influence on, literally *all*, doctors in training from the last 80 years.
I can't count the number of times I've been in a continuing medical education lecture where a Netter diagram of some organ system was used as an introductory slide about some new medical device or medication. He was a huge figure in medical education.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:14 PM on October 3, 2018 [7 favorites]
I can't count the number of times I've been in a continuing medical education lecture where a Netter diagram of some organ system was used as an introductory slide about some new medical device or medication. He was a huge figure in medical education.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:14 PM on October 3, 2018 [7 favorites]
That dude was super into people asphyxiating.
Just sayin'.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:27 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Just sayin'.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:27 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Slarty Bartfast : I have to be the only MD I know who never owned a copy of Netters - I preferred Rohen (all photographs which most look like chicken that has been left outside for a few days). I also owned and loved a copy of Clemente (illustrations) until my car flooded whilst on my surgery block.
When I was in Anatomy lab, we came in one day to find the lab padlocked about a week before our fall final. When we asked why, it was because (1) it was found out that our cadaver had not been correctly preserved - too much formaldehyde [oops] and (2) the ventilation system had been turned off for the preceding three months [double oops]. So, while there were still first year med students getting sick and passing out in Anatomy lab, and all of the professors and dieners were mocking them, it turned out that they were getting sick for pretty good reasons. I politely declined to sign a waiver releasing the school from any liability related to that event.
Anyway, they had to get rid of about half of our cadavers, and so our Anatomy exam was basically pictures from Clemente. I bought a copy, overnighted it, and memorized that whole damned book in the space of four days. Such great pictures.
posted by honeybee413 at 9:02 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
When I was in Anatomy lab, we came in one day to find the lab padlocked about a week before our fall final. When we asked why, it was because (1) it was found out that our cadaver had not been correctly preserved - too much formaldehyde [oops] and (2) the ventilation system had been turned off for the preceding three months [double oops]. So, while there were still first year med students getting sick and passing out in Anatomy lab, and all of the professors and dieners were mocking them, it turned out that they were getting sick for pretty good reasons. I politely declined to sign a waiver releasing the school from any liability related to that event.
Anyway, they had to get rid of about half of our cadavers, and so our Anatomy exam was basically pictures from Clemente. I bought a copy, overnighted it, and memorized that whole damned book in the space of four days. Such great pictures.
posted by honeybee413 at 9:02 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
^^^ yeah, I learned nothing from cadavers except how to treat human beings like meat. Our “official” atlas was Moore’s but almost everyone also had Netter’s. You learn so much more from an idealized diagram than from the real thing, and that’s why Netter was so great. He was the first that I know of that was able to express the visual complexity of anatomy and make it understandable. As far as I know, human anatomy hasn’t changed much since the 1930s and more recent artists haven’t really improved upon Netter.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:12 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:12 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
Johannes Sobotta is another old school artist whose work has endured. I love this illustration of a pregnant woman's abdomen (maybe NSFW). Not just because the organ displacement is nicely (uncomfortably?) shown, but because he's able to let us dive down through at least four or more ghosted layers, yet all the structures remain clear, and we can always tell which edge lies in front or behind another.
posted by Kabanos at 10:13 PM on October 3, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by Kabanos at 10:13 PM on October 3, 2018 [5 favorites]
These aren't sexy at all.
posted by bongo_x at 1:02 AM on October 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by bongo_x at 1:02 AM on October 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
…but because he's able to let us dive down through at least four or more ghosted layers…
This comment just hauled to the surface of my brain some really fuzzy and tattered memories of books we had around the house growing up that had a section that showed cutaways of human anatomy represented by layers on cellophane-like clear plastic. You could remove or layer your way through the body with them, revealing or concealing more and more. They were kinda awesome.
Damn but I don't think I've thought of those in literally 30-40 years. This is gonna drive me nuts, the memories being so vague, but thanks!
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 1:23 AM on October 4, 2018 [6 favorites]
This comment just hauled to the surface of my brain some really fuzzy and tattered memories of books we had around the house growing up that had a section that showed cutaways of human anatomy represented by layers on cellophane-like clear plastic. You could remove or layer your way through the body with them, revealing or concealing more and more. They were kinda awesome.
Damn but I don't think I've thought of those in literally 30-40 years. This is gonna drive me nuts, the memories being so vague, but thanks!
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 1:23 AM on October 4, 2018 [6 favorites]
These are wonderful. They merit po-faced tumblerized captions.
Jack is angry because he has a small penis
Dorothy's selfies make her itch
A worm lives in Morty's testicle
Gerald uses a vise when planking
George and Laura enjoy a kink
posted by chavenet at 2:03 AM on October 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
Jack is angry because he has a small penis
Dorothy's selfies make her itch
A worm lives in Morty's testicle
Gerald uses a vise when planking
George and Laura enjoy a kink
posted by chavenet at 2:03 AM on October 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
Los pantalones del muerte — the Anatomy article in the edition of the Encyclopedia Brittanica I grew up with had transparent plastic overlays like the ones you describe.
posted by LizardBreath at 4:47 AM on October 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by LizardBreath at 4:47 AM on October 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
Los pantalones del muerte — the Anatomy article in the edition of the Encyclopedia Brittanica I grew up with had transparent plastic overlays like the ones you describe.
As did the World Book encyclopedias in our house.
When I was in med school in the late 1980's his illustrations were affectionately known as Nettergrams, and as one of the links quoted above mentions, they were definitely more lifelike than actual photos. Medical illustration is quite a unique specialty; my school has one of only 4 accredited programs in the US and Canada. The students take anatomy and histology classes alongside medical students; the sort of work they do can be found here.
posted by TedW at 5:20 AM on October 4, 2018 [3 favorites]
As did the World Book encyclopedias in our house.
When I was in med school in the late 1980's his illustrations were affectionately known as Nettergrams, and as one of the links quoted above mentions, they were definitely more lifelike than actual photos. Medical illustration is quite a unique specialty; my school has one of only 4 accredited programs in the US and Canada. The students take anatomy and histology classes alongside medical students; the sort of work they do can be found here.
posted by TedW at 5:20 AM on October 4, 2018 [3 favorites]
Rage Diagrams is the name of my new death-metal hip-hop supergroup
posted by Doleful Creature at 6:14 AM on October 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Doleful Creature at 6:14 AM on October 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
I my legal practice 30 years ago, I would seek out the appropriate "Netters" from CIBA for medical malpractice cases I was handling. They were extremely helpful, and I still have the books in mint condition even as I pare down my library.....
posted by swlabr at 8:16 AM on October 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by swlabr at 8:16 AM on October 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
As did the World Book encyclopedias in our house.
And that was it—I remembered last night lying in bed, the old World Books in the living room bookcase. Should have remembered sooner since I was that kid who got teased for reading the encyclopedia.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 9:43 AM on October 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
And that was it—I remembered last night lying in bed, the old World Books in the living room bookcase. Should have remembered sooner since I was that kid who got teased for reading the encyclopedia.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 9:43 AM on October 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
since I was that kid who got teased for reading the encyclopedia.
YOUUUU ARE NOT ALLOOONNNE! I AM HERE WITH YOUUUUUU!
posted by elsietheeel at 12:06 PM on October 4, 2018 [3 favorites]
YOUUUU ARE NOT ALLOOONNNE! I AM HERE WITH YOUUUUUU!
posted by elsietheeel at 12:06 PM on October 4, 2018 [3 favorites]
since I was that kid who got teased for reading the encyclopedia.
YOUUUU ARE NOT ALLOOONNNE! I AM HERE WITH YOUUUUUU!
That makes three of us! They might think we’re an organization!
posted by TedW at 5:50 PM on October 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
YOUUUU ARE NOT ALLOOONNNE! I AM HERE WITH YOUUUUUU!
That makes three of us! They might think we’re an organization!
posted by TedW at 5:50 PM on October 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
(we had a weird color-heavy encyclopedia from the 1950s, a Britannica from the 1940s, and an AMAZING one-volume New Columbia circa 1980 or something that I used like Wikipedia, bouncing from cross-reference to cross-reference. I did my best to read though each from A-Z. The Britannica was utterly fascinating because of all the current-at-publication WWII stuff.)
posted by mwhybark at 6:46 PM on October 4, 2018
posted by mwhybark at 6:46 PM on October 4, 2018
since I was that kid who got teased for reading the encyclopedia.
YOUUUU ARE NOT ALLOOONNNE! I AM HERE WITH YOUUUUUU!
That makes three of us! They might think we’re an organization!
My mother sold World Book. How do you think I felt?
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:33 PM on October 4, 2018
YOUUUU ARE NOT ALLOOONNNE! I AM HERE WITH YOUUUUUU!
That makes three of us! They might think we’re an organization!
My mother sold World Book. How do you think I felt?
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:33 PM on October 4, 2018
I'm sitting in front of the shelf with my Netter atlas on it as I read this.
Interestingly, in a classic example of the Baader-Meinhof phenomena, one of my colleagues was just mentioning to me today that for this year's batch of residency applications she has been assigned to review applications from the relatively new (2010) Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. It was established with a $100 million gift from his heirs. Illustration pays well!
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 10:58 PM on October 4, 2018
Interestingly, in a classic example of the Baader-Meinhof phenomena, one of my colleagues was just mentioning to me today that for this year's batch of residency applications she has been assigned to review applications from the relatively new (2010) Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. It was established with a $100 million gift from his heirs. Illustration pays well!
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 10:58 PM on October 4, 2018
My mother sold World Book. How do you think I felt?
I don’t know how you felt, but I’m jealous!
posted by TedW at 1:04 AM on October 5, 2018
I don’t know how you felt, but I’m jealous!
posted by TedW at 1:04 AM on October 5, 2018
YOUUUU ARE NOT ALLOOONNNE! I AM HERE WITH YOUUUUUU!
Signing in to be counted.
posted by desuetude at 8:51 AM on October 5, 2018
Signing in to be counted.
posted by desuetude at 8:51 AM on October 5, 2018
since I was that kid who got teased for reading the encyclopedia.
It had everything, why wouldn't I? I didn't get teased though.
Seriously, i love my parents for making that investment.
posted by bongo_x at 2:06 PM on October 5, 2018
It had everything, why wouldn't I? I didn't get teased though.
Seriously, i love my parents for making that investment.
posted by bongo_x at 2:06 PM on October 5, 2018
My grandparents had a World Book set! I suppose it made sense for them with several school-age kids in the house at once. By the time I came along, the encyclopedia was just decorative, and I think my grandmother liked that about it as much as anything. I spent a lot of time reading it, and I remember the illustration of ancient Egyptian life so well that I would know it today.
posted by Countess Elena at 2:31 PM on October 5, 2018
posted by Countess Elena at 2:31 PM on October 5, 2018
MetaFilter: that kid who got teased for reading the encyclopedia
posted by Doleful Creature at 4:10 PM on October 5, 2018
posted by Doleful Creature at 4:10 PM on October 5, 2018
(my nickname in grade school was Mr. Encyclopedia)
posted by Doleful Creature at 4:11 PM on October 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Doleful Creature at 4:11 PM on October 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by mwhybark at 4:04 PM on October 3, 2018