The Anatomy Lesson

Commissioned by a prominent Amsterdam medical guild, The Anatomical Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp was one of Rembrandt's first paintings to gain public notice. On the morning of the medical dissection, several characters prepare for that evening's big event, including one-handed coat thief Aris the Kid, curio collector Jan Fetchet, Aris's lover Flora, philosopher Rene Descartes, contemporary art historian Pia, and the 26-year-old Dutch master himself, who feels uneasy about his assignment.