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Description: | 140.0 x 121.0 "AET 80" on parapet CRE BEMMEL, William van; (Dutch; 1630-1708) This portrait of Dr Harvey, the physician who discovered the circulation of the blood, was in the collection of our founder Dr Hunter. Harvey's head, taken from this painting, was engraved by Houbraken in 1739 when the painting was in the possession of the Royal Physician Dr Mead. Houbraken attributed the painting (mistakenly) to the landscape painter Bemmel. The book held by Dr Harvey has been identified by Mr Keynes as Adrianus Spigelius, Opera quae extant omnia ..., Amsterdam, 1645, tabula III, lib. II. The velvet gown in which he appears was bequeathed by Harvey to his colleague Dr Scarborough, of whom the Royal College of Physicians owns a portrait very similar in execution to this one.
In a letter dated 21/10/1991, Geoffrey Davenport, Librarian in the Royal College of Physicians, suggests that book in Harvey's hands is the anatomy book of Juan Valverde de Hamusco, his Vivae imagines partium corporis humani aereis formis expressae, Antwerp, 1566, plate 2, book 2.
Hunter praised Harvey's discovery of the circulation of the blood as one of the greatest advances in science, and he did research into his life, borrowing papers from Harvey's family, including his will. Hunter's manuscript notes are in Special Collections (MS H 51). They incorporate a list of portraits, in oil and engraved, including Hunter's own picture.
Nicholas Claude le Cat, chief surgeon at l'Hotel Dieu, had a copy of this portrait made by Catherine Read, present location unknown. | License: | http://www.hmag.gla.ac.uk/spirit/rights/ | Publisher: | Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow | Rights holder: | Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow | Subjects: | PORTRAIT : HUNTER 2007 : MEDECINE : BLOOD : PHYSICIAN : MEAD COLLECTION : ORAM : NIRP2005 : NIRP2005 : | Source: | Hunterian Museum | Creator: | Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow | Identifier: | http://www.huntsearch.gla.ac.uk/cgi-bin/... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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