1741 Skeleton Anatomy Print, Pietro da Cortona, Baroque Bone Study Wall Art

What makes this 1741 plate from Pietro Berrettini da Cortona's Tabulae Anatomicae uniquely extraordinary is its author — the greatest Baroque painter in Rome, whose artistic genius transforms what could have been a clinical bone reference plate into a composition of breathtaking visual drama, making this one of the rarest intersections of supreme fine art talent and anatomical science in the entire history of medical illustration.

Published in Rome in 1741 from drawings made over a century earlier, Tabulae Anatomicae is the posthumous anatomical atlas of Pietro Berrettini da Cortona — the Baroque master responsible for the celebrated ceiling frescoes of the Palazzo Barberini and the Church of Santi Luca e Martina in Rome. Cortona began his anatomical studies in the early 17th century alongside his artistic career, producing a series of plates that were only published 84 years after his death in 1669. 

The result is an atlas conceived entirely through the eyes of a supreme visual artist.

This plate — Tab. XX — presents a complete osteological study of the human skeleton. 

A rear-view skeleton dominates the central composition, the spine and ribcage rendered with extraordinary three-dimensional presence through masterful engraved hatching, standing against a softly sketched Italian pastoral landscape with distant hills and trees. 

Surrounding this central figure, 30 individually numbered bone studies are arranged with the eye of a still-life painter rather than a clinical illustrator — long bones of the arm and leg, the bones of the hand and foot in multiple views, the pelvis, hip joint, and individual carpal and tarsal bones — each rendered with the same draughtsmanship confidence that Cortona brought to his great ceiling paintings.

At The Millaner Archive, we do not merely duplicate historical scans — we thoughtfully revitalise their original majesty.

This museum-grade reproduction has been meticulously optimised to preserve every engraved line, every numbered bone study, and the warm aged paper character of this irreplaceable 284-year-old Baroque masterpiece.

Premium Presentation: Printed on heavy, archival-grade textured fine art paper with a soft matte finish perfectly replicating the weight and feel of the original 1741 Roman folio paper.

Flawless Resolution: Every engraved bone study, Roman numeral annotation, and landscape detail preserved with absolute museum-grade clarity.

Sizing Options: The tall portrait format, extraordinary compositional balance, and Baroque artistic pedigree make this exceptional for medical spaces, art history collections, dark academia interiors, and serious gallery walls.

Available in standard gallery framing sizes (e.g., A4, A3, 11×14", 16×20").

Sustainably Made: Printed to order using premium, fade-resistant archival mineral inks.