Victorian Anatomist’s Work Reveals Lost Histories of Race, Desire, and the Human Form
A groundbreaking exhibition set to open in February 2026 will showcase the intricate anatomical drawings of Joseph Maclise, a 19th-century surgeon and artist whose work challenged conventional boundaries of art, science, and societal norms. The exhibition, titled “Beneath the Sheets: Anatomy, Art and Power” at the Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds, promises a provocative exploration of the human body and the power dynamics surrounding its representation.
A Forgotten Pioneer of Anatomical Illustration
Joseph Maclise, brother of the celebrated artist Daniel Maclise, created detailed anatomical illustrations that made the study of the human body accessible to a wider audience through his 1851 atlas, Surgical Anatomy. However, his work went beyond mere scientific documentation. According to the exhibition’s curator, Jack Gann, Maclise’s drawings broke new ground by “centring black bodies and focusing on queer desire,” offering a rare and nuanced perspective within the context of Victorian-era art and medicine.
One particularly striking image – an anatomical drawing of an unnamed Black man with his eyes closed and his innards exposed – is believed to be the only such depiction of a Black body created during that period. This drawing, widely circulated in the original publication, was notably omitted from the American edition of Surgical Anatomy, a decision attributed to the racial prejudice and segregationist attitudes prevalent in the lead-up to the American Civil War.
Blurring the Lines Between Science and Sensuality
Maclise’s artistic process was unique. He combined observations from dissections of corpses sourced from Parisian morgues with studies of living models recruited from the streets of London and Paris. This approach resulted in drawings that were both scientifically accurate and aesthetically compelling. His attention to detail was remarkable; as Gann notes, Maclise “drew little scars or blemishes,” portraying his subjects not as idealized figures, but as individuals with unique characteristics. “One of them has an ear piercing, they aren’t like Greek gods,” Gann added.
The artist consistently included depictions of his subjects’ genitalia, even when the focus of the drawing was elsewhere. This practice, described by American medical historian Michael Sappol as a “catalogue of irrelevant penises,” has fueled speculation about Maclise’s own sexuality. While no definitive evidence exists, Gann suggests that Maclise may have been gay and that the drawings served as a form of erotic expression. “He never left any real records of his personal life,” Gann explained, “The story is most clearly told by just looking at the pictures and coming face to face with that sensuality.”
Sappol further argues in his book Queer Anatomies that Maclise’s work is part of a “lost archive of queer expression,” alongside the contributions of artists like Jacques Fabien Gautier d’Agoty and William Cheselden.
A Legacy Overshadowed, Yet Enduring
Despite its innovative approach, Maclise’s work was ultimately overshadowed by the greater accessibility and lower cost of Gray’s Anatomy. Nevertheless, his illustrations have continued to resonate with audiences. In 2011, one of his works was even used in promotional materials for a National Theatre production of Frankenstein, demonstrating the enduring power of his imagery.
The exhibition will also explore the stories of female bodies subjected to anatomical study, including the tragic case of Mary Paterson, a victim of the notorious serial killers Burke and Hare. The Thackray Museum describes Paterson as “a posthumous object of anatomical fascination,” highlighting the troubling questions raised by the medical community’s interest in her “preserved beauty” and the broader issues of class, violence, and the male gaze.
“Beneath the Sheets” will also feature early anatomical texts, such as Charles Estienne’s 1545 De Dissectione Partium Corporis Humani Libri Tres, which utilized collage-like images constructed from multiple dissections, and Andreas Vesalius’s groundbreaking 1543 De Humani Corporis Fabrica, the first major work to depict human anatomy based on direct dissection.
“Beneath the Sheets: Anatomy, Art and Power” opens at the Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds on February 7, 2026, and will run through June 27, offering visitors a rare and unsettling glimpse into the intersection of art, science, and the complexities of the human condition.
