An anatomical depiction of the life and death of a foetus frames Adam alone in the Garden of Eden. Etching by J.A. Fridrich after J.D. Preissler and M. Füssli after C. Huyberts.

Bible. O.T. Genesis 1.26-27. Scheuchzer describes the eleven figures as depictions of "the different stages of growth which a human being goes through": 1. A human embryo the size of a grain of aniseed. 2. The size of a barley grain. The umbilical cord begins to grow. 3. The head begins to distinguish itself from the body. 4. It grows to the length of a finger. 5-7. Its fingers begin to grow while its body grows larger. 8. The skeleton of the foetus, the size of a little finger, holding small eggs in each hand. 9. It holds suspended in its right hand the egg of a fertilised female. 10. Now index finger size, it holds the open, fertile egg. 11. The foetus, now the size of four months, weeps into a mesentery instead of a handkerchief, a small membrane patterned with rivulets of veins.

Scheuchzer ends his discussion of the scene with a debate over the difference between animal, human and God. The ornamental border seems ironically related to this; the anatomical details and the Latin rendering of "God formed man of the dust of the ground" (which is from Genesis 2.7, not 1.26-27, as is claimed) seem to undercut both the theological discussion, which proclaims the difference of humanity from all other creatures, and the central image of Adam, who is shown with the divine light being poured into his head, the place of reason

[Amsterdam] : P. Schenk and P. Mortier, 1732.

1 print : etching ; platemark 31.1 x 19.7 cm

Genesis Cap.1 v. 26-27. Homo ex Humo. 1. Buch Moses Cap.1. v. 26-27. Erschaffung und Zeugung des Menschen. J.A. Fridrich sculp. Bears number: Tab. XXIII.

The figures of the ornamental border are originally from 'Thesaurus anatomicus', vol 6, p. 31-2, by Frederick Ruysch, 1744. They are etched by Cornelis Huyberts. They have been copied here by Johann Daniel Preissler. The central picture is drawn by Johann Melchior Füssli. The whole etching is by Jacob Andreas Fridrich

Wellcome Collection 15541i