Details
ONLINE HISTORY COURSE
“House of Wax: The History of Anatomical Models as Works of Art and Medicine”
Course Description:
For at least the last 37,000 years, humans have sculpted and drawn the human form. What compelled our prehistoric ancestors to do this is unknown and subject to debate among prehistorians, but something compelled these ancient artists to represent human anatomy in stone, bone, and mammoth ivory. The ancient Mesopotamian civilizations and those of classical antiquity have left us with not just sculptures of human and semi-human form but also anatomically accurate models designed for medical diagnosis and therapeutic purposes. This trend continued and expanded throughout the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period.
Join physiologist and medical historian, Dr. Jeremy Wasser, for a tour of the history of anatomical representations of the human body. Why were these images of bodies (and body parts) made and how were they used by their makers and contemporary healers. What do the images tell us about how these peoples viewed the human body in health and disease and how they understood the relationship of humans to the world around them and to the universe itself, the microcosm in the macrocosm.
Instructor:
Jeremy Wasser, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Physiology at Texas A&M University. Dr. Wasser serves as the program leader for study abroad programs in Germany, focused on the history of medicine, providing future doctors and biomedical science researchers with a foundation in physiology and the medical humanities. Along with his scientific publications he has written and lectured on the culture of disease, the history of public health and health policy, the history of human experimentation, and the role of physiological education in contemplative practices. Additionally, Wasser’s training in opera and theatre inform the unique personas that he creates for lectures in the history of medicine and performances related to science and storytelling.
Virtual Classroom: Full access to an online educational platform with discussion forum, videos of recordings, syllabus, and reading list.
Location: LIVE INTERACTIVE ON-LINE HISTORY LECTURES
Optional Readings:
Readings to be provided to students prior to the beginning of course.
Complete syllabus will be provided upon registration.
- ALL LECTURES WILL BE RECORDED AND AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT YOUR CONVENIENCE IN OUR VIDEO LIBRARY FOR THE DURATION OF THE COURSE