Dr Nicolaes Tulp of Amsterdam, 1593-1674: anatomist and doctor of medicine.

The renowned Dr Nicolaes Tulp of seventeenth century was a practising surgeon and physician, a civic leader and an anatomist who was appointed Praelector in Anatomy to regularize public dissections, and he was also charged by the Surgeons' Guild to apprentice surgeons. Rembrandt's famous painting 'The Anatomy of Dr Tulp' brought growing recognition not only to the painter for his artistry, but also to the surgeon for it introduced a new dimension into anatomical paintings by displaying both anatomical detail and muscle function. Tulp's interests included botany, drug therapy and the production of the official Dutch Pharmacopoea. In civic affairs too, he played an important role, becoming the Mayor of Amsterdam as well as a judge - he was indeed a most noteworthy citizen of his time.