The apparent revival of a dead man by galvanism. Drawing attributed to G.M. Woodward.

  • Woodward, G. M. (George Moutard), approximately 1760-1809.
Date:
[between 1700 and 1799]
Reference:
673640i
  • Pictures
  • Online

Selected images from this work

View 1 image

About this work

Description

Two men express astonishment as a young man sits up from his bed, apparently stimulated by an object tended towards him by a third man. Another man hiding behind the bed pushes the young man upwards with his palm against the young man's back

Publication/Creation

[between 1700 and 1799]

Physical description

1 drawing : pencil, with grey ink ; sheet 18 x 21.2 cm

Lettering

Galvanism or the dead alive. Folly as it flies. Making us fools of nature so horribly to shake our dispositions with thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls "Making us fools of nature [...]": a paraphrase of Shakespeare, Hamlet, act I, scene iv, "What may this mean / That thou, dead corse, again, in complete steel, / Revisits thus the glimpses of the moon, / Making night hideous, and we fools of nature / So horridly to shake our disposition / With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls?" Alexander Pope, Essay on man, epistle i, v. 13 "Eye Natures walks, shoot folly as it flies, / And catch the manners living as they rise; / Laugh where we must, be candid where we can, / But vindicate the ways of God to man"

References note

Richard Palmer and Jean Taylor, The Hunterian Society: a catalogue of its records and collections relating to John Hunter and the Hunterian tradition with a history of the Society, London: Hunterian Society, 1990, pp. 175, 244

Reference

Wellcome Collection 673640i

Languages

Where to find it

  • Hunterian Society deposit no. 1991-128/598 (H000/598)

    LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores

Permanent link