The Time Machine

Through linking the 2010 film “Burke & Hare” directed by John Landis to the theory of
Enlightenment, through researching into four different centuries how may the
connection between anatomy and artwork lead up to become what influenced this
film.

Using the 2010 film “Burke & Hare” directed by John Landis which is based in 19 th
century England, upon the period of common body snatching for anatomists. When
connecting this film to the theory of Enlightenment where philosophers of the time
expressed strong beliefs in discovering natural laws and science, through
acknowledging and connecting the role of anatomy to the ways in which scientists
believed in the need to advance and improve humanity. Looking into previous history
from within four different centuries and connecting three pieces of artwork that leads
up to raise the question of through time was it art that encouraged or influenced
people to engage in philosophy and science, would the interest in anatomy have
developed amongst scientists if they had not already found inspiration from others. If
the movements in biological science had not occurred within history would it still
have lead up to the inspiration needed for the making of the modern day film of
“Burke & Hare”.

The film “Burke & Hare” based in the 19th century Edinburgh on the true lives of
William Burke and William Hare whom were the first caught body snatchers turned
murderers, being paid for the illegal collection of bodies for the secret works of
surgeons and anatomists. From linking the film industry which has reconstructed the
life story of these men, even though modern day film making is in an exceedingly
separate genre of work in comparison to the discovery of human anatomy, without
looking into previous history and understanding why man wanted to develop and
educate oneself in the human body this film would fail. John Landis, the director
himself must discover what lead to the events of which occurred in the lives of Burke
and Hare to make a successful film. Without this knowledge this film could not have
then been produced. Even though the film reflects a less serious and humorous
reconstruction of the truth behind body snatching and murder it does expose the
importance felt by the minority the need for scientific discovery.

Travelling as back to 1489, from the end of the 15 th century and into the beginning of
the 16th century, it was Leonardo da Vinci whom was one of the first artists to self-

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confidently present his work on human anatomy or the
“structure of man” (Williams 1965:110). Leonardo da Vinci
watched autopsies being performed by doctors before
undertaking his own dissections on a corpse. Bringing art
and science together he no longer felt inclined to produce
work which would only for fill the needs of everyday people’s
perception on what man should look like from the outside
“Do you not see that the eye encompasses the beauty of the
whole world? ...it assists and directs all the arts of man”
(Wallace 1966:103) this point of view possibly suggests to
the people that they should in fact open their eyes and
accept the true beauty of all the worlds creation. In this case
it would be to embrace the creation of man and recognize Figure 1: “Studies of the anatomy
the mechanics of the human body as beautiful. Even of the shoulder”
though the theory of Enlightenment had not been properly developed by man yet,
like many scientists who believed in the similar ways to the Enlightenment, Leonardo
da Vinci was drawn to the mystery of life and produced the first recorded image of a
dissected womb showing an unborn child. Drawn with such accuracy the image can
still be used in modern day medical textbooks. Even though dissection was strictly
forbidden by the church he still produced sketches of organs and the movement of
muscles, it is probable that this is what inspired other artist to not be fearful to
produce work which included such images of anatomy.

Moving into the 17th Century more artwork which included imagery of anatomy had
grown. The greatest development of these painting was amongst Dutch artists, many
of which were classed as painters within the Dutch Golden Age. Artists such as
Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan van Neck, Thomas de Keyser, Pieter van Mierevelt and
Michiel van Mierevelt produced paintings of philosophers and scientists during their
anatomy lessons. Their paintings would often include a lecturer or doctor, the corpse
and either one student or a group of overlooking scholars “Sober costumes
notwithstanding, painters of individual portraits sought not just to depict their
subjects as realistically as possible, but also to present them in a more natural way.
In group portraits, they faced the additional challenge of devising a presentation that
was both varied and natural. The figures had to be arranged so as to create the

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impression that they were truly gathered
together” (Ekkart, Buvelot 2007:25). Unlike
many other European painters of this period
these paintings showed its audience the
truth of what was actually happening behind
the painting. To include every onlooker
within the painting was import to allow its
audience to acknowledge the true amounts
of people who wanted to learn about the Figure 2: “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Willem van
der Meer”
human anatomy.

As the work of anatomists was often kept

hidden and secret from everyday life, even though the science was known it was not
often admitted or shown to the public. For the people who had never visualised such
realism or experienced the upfront approach to these honest pieces of art, it is
possible that these paintings may have opened the eyes of individuals to who were
in fact sheltered from the world of science, philosophy or the theory of
Enlightenment. Through the growth of informative materials, knowledge seemed to
be approaching the illimitable. It is then questionable if these pieces of work are the
cause for inspiring further artists to produce paintings based upon the subject of
anatomy. However it is possible that these images are what triggered the individual’s
imagination or enthused more people to take an interest in the theory of
Enlightenment where they begin to question science, politics and religion.

Into the 18th century when the theory of Enlightenment was at its peak amongst
philosophers, estimating the significance of natural science was at its strongest,
“The real achievement of science lies elsewhere; it is not so much in the new
objective content which science has made accessible to the human mind as in the
new function which it attributes to the mind of man.”(Cassirer 1951:37) not all
philosophers believed that the knowledge of nature lead them out into the world to
explore but it only served as a medium for which the mind developed in its own self
knowledge.

As the theory of Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason was gaining its
most interest in Britain during the 18th century the rise of body snatching connected

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to the work of these anatomists, philosophers and surgeons became progressively
more popular. At the beginning of the century it was often barbers who operated on
their clients when their customers were in pain, for these men it was a natural spark
of interest to want to educate themselves in the human body. Frequently they formed
secret group meetings to study a corpse and as their knowledge progressed more
clients began to survive surgery. The feeling that they needed to better themselves
through expanding their own knowledge on the mechanics of the human body
therefore added extra pressure onto the work of body snatchers. The demand for
more bodies from already studying philosopher now increased now that there were
requirements by backstreet surgeons. However they were not only for filling their
personal needs to teach one but were also enhancing the facts of science for the
people in future generations.

Gangs of men were being paid to dig up recently buried corpses for the practice of
anatomy, more often than not the body would have been dug up on the night after
the person’s funeral. More money was earned collecting bodies over the winter
months as the corpse was kept better preserved due to the cold weather and as for
children scientists often paid for the body by the inch. Over Britain turf wars over
graveyards occurred and gangs often fort to collect bodies.

Throughout the 1700’s, though the law allowed six criminals a year to be taken after
being publicly hung the need for more bodies was in greater demand, this time not
only by scientists but by artists. The enlightenment did not only limit itself to
philosophy however there were similar developments in art which resulted in the art
movement of neoclassicism, both philosophers and artists wanted to discover the
natural laws which they felt governed the universe.

To avoid riots occurring between the families of the deceased and the philosopers
themselves, linking the use of bodies to artwork was kept secret amongst its users.
From the mid 1700’s if a body was not needed by anatomists they were passed onto
artists “Anatomists shared him with the artists of The Royal Academy who wanted a
life model for their religious paintings” (The Anatomists:2011) students of The Royal
Art Academy that produced the hanging corpse of James Legg on a crucifix went
through the process of first boiling his body to remove the skin which would clearly
expose the shapes of every muscle. The heat kept the body soft for long enough to

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allow the corpse to be easily placed in
the position needed. With the corpse of
James Legg and like many others the
body was then flayed to keep it from
decomposing. The reason for its
demand was that the artists felt it
helped to create stronger images when
drawing from a real life model and
were able to produce better religious
painting. Figure 3: Corpse of James Legg

It was in 1883, this is when the story of

Burke and Hare arose, where the obsession with body snatching raised to a new
level and led them to the murder of 16 innocent people in the course of 12 months.
Amongst the public the view which philosophers had on Enlightenment had now
been truly acknowledged and people were widely aware of the outbreak of body
snatchers across the country for the works of anatomy. The theory of Enlightenment
was not the general concerns however it was the practical use of their knowledge.
As competition to submit a constant flow of bodies to scientists people feared for
their recently deceased loved ones. The appearance of graveyards changed, towers
were built so watchmen could look out for body snatchers during day and night, as
for the rich walls were built around their graves for protection. As for collecting
bodies William Burke and William Hare became the supplier of well-regarded
anatomists Dr. Robert Knox however the bodies were not of the recently deceased
but victims of their own murders which they had suffocated their victims.

Even though the enlightenment encouraged discovery and science it was becoming
greatly hated. It was evident that by the majority of how people viewed the theory of
Enlightenment it raised the question of whether this conflict was in fact a positive or
negative way of thinking and would this indeed help the development of man.

In conclusion though on first sight it appears that it was the work and meaning of
anatomy which inspired artists, on analysis it seems to show that if such work had
not have been produced the science of anatomy may not have become so accepted.
It is noticeable that through the study of Enlightenment, though it was the story of

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William Burke and William Hare which inspired film maker John Landis to bring their
story back to life through the use of film, without the previous interest in anatomy,
philosophy and the events which occurred due to the Age of Reason the story of
“Burke & Hare” would not exist today and therefore inspire the makers within the film
industry.

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List of illustrations

Figure 1: Vinci, da, Leonardo (1510) Studies of the anatomy of the shoulder
[drawing] Kemp, Martin (1988) Leonardo da Vinci (page.214) Great Britain: Penguin
Books Ltd.

Figure 2: Mierevelt , van, Pieter, Mierevelt, van, Michiel (1617) The Anatomy Lesson
of Dr Willem van der Meer [painting] Ekkart, Rudi, Buvelot, Quentin (2007) Dutch
Portraits (page.25) London: published to accompany the exhibitions held at The
National Gallery.

Figure 3: Students of The Royal Academy (mid 1700’s) Corpse of James Legg [life
model] Taken from the documentary: The Anatomists (2011) Directed by: Julian
Weaver [Documentary] Great Britain: Channel 4.

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Bibliography

Books

Cassirer, Ernst (1951) The Philosophy of the Enlightenment, Princeton New Jersey:
Princeton University Press.

Ekkart, Rudi, Buvelot, Quentin (2007) Dutch Portraits, London: published to

accompany the exhibitions held at The National Gallery.

Kemp, Martin (1988) Leonardo da Vinci, London: Penguin Books Ltd.

Steintrager, A, James (2004) Cruel Delight: Enlightenment culture and the Inhuman,
Bloomington USA: Indiana University Press

Wallace, Robert (1972) The World of Leonardo, United States: Time Inc.

Williams, Jay (1966) Leonardo da Vinci, Great Britain: American Heritage Publishing
Co.

Documentaries

The Anatomists (2011) Directed by: Julian Weaver [Documentary] Great Britain:
Channel 4.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-anatomists/episode-guide/series-1/episode-2

(On-line editor: Paul Bates)