Learning from Stubbs

The engraving accessible from the link below is taken from one of the earliest veterinary anatomy textbooks in the world. The Anatomy of the Horse by George Stubbs was published in 1766 in London. To complete the book, Stubbs first spent 18 months dissecting horses and then drawing the dissections in meticulous detail. This work is said to have been the inspiration behind many of his subsequent paintings of horses - included one of the famous racehorse Eclipse which is now on display in the RVC library.

The animation is based on a scanned image of the original illustration. Interactive labels have then been added using a program called Dragster (http://www.webducate.net/). This provides a fascinating example of both the similarities and the differences in the ways that anatomy was taught at the RVC in the 18th century as compared to the modern day.

Link to Stubbs Animation