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Monday, May 9, 2011

"Gabinete de Anatomia" Exhibition at Fundação Arpad Szenes - Vieira da Silva




Included in the commemorations of the centennials of the University of Lisbon and its Medical School, the Arpad Szenes-Vieira da Silva Foundation and the Medicine Museum of the Medical School from the University of Lisbon have put together a compilation of anatomical drawings by Vieira da Silva and Arpad Szenes, and from the collection of the Medicine Museum, including anatomical drawings recently catalogued during the investigation project «image in science and art» from the Philosophy Center of Sciences from the University of Lisbon.

Created by Professor Henrique de Vilhena, teacher of artistic anatomy at the Escola de Belas Artes de Lisboa (Fine Arts School of Lisbon) and founder of the Instituto de Anatomia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa (Anatomy Institute of the Medical School from the University of Lisbon), the collection of drawings from the Medicine Museum is comprised of scholastic drawings completed by its students between the years of 1905 and 1938.

Although the live model lessons took place at the Fine Arts School, it was in the Anatomy Institute of the Medial School, due to its proper facilities, that the study of the dissected body would take place.

Between the students under the instruction of Professor Henrique de Vilhena, one can find names such as Guilherme de Santa-Rita, Calvet de Magalhães, Dórdio Gomes, Frederico Ayres, Carlos Bonvalot, Helena de Bourbon e Menezes, Jorge Valadas, Norberto Correia, Estrela Faria, José Tagarro, almost all of them represented in this exhibition.

Passionate about anatomy, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva was by her personal option Henrique de Vilhena's pupil at the School of Medicine, quite probably during the years of 1926-27 according to dates found on her drawings.

The exhibition is divided in 4 sections: 1. Anatomy of Desire - anatomical drawings by
Arpad Szenes; 2. Fractioned Body - anatomical drawings by Vieira da Silva; 3. Head and Whole Body - anatomical drawings from the Medicine Museum; 4. Trunk and Limbs - anatomical drawings from the Medicine Museum.

Besides the drawings from the two referred collections, "Gabinete de Anatomia" also shows two sets of feminin and male nude drawings from the authorship of Arpad Szenes, one with distinct scholastic characteristcs, probably completed at the Academy of Budapest where he was a student of József Rippl-Rónai (Rippl-Rónai József in its native form) during the 1910s; the other one was completed between 1928 and 1932, possibly in Paris and after already knowing Vieira da Silva.

The exhibition also includes a series of preparatory drawings by Arpad Szenes for one of his most celebrated works: «Le Couple»

Curated by Manuel Valente Alves, with the support of the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian and of the University of Lisbon, "Gabinete de Anatomia" can be visited at Fundação Arpad Szenes - Vieira da Silva (10h00-18h00 Mon-Fri) between May 6 and July 3, 2011.
Closed on Tuesdays and holidays.

1 comment:

Teresa Kline said...

this is interesting, thanks for sharing...hope your week is awesome!

enjoy *~*