Heidi A. Everett
The Relationship of Art and Science
Science is often considered to be a subject that is dry and void of artistic expression. However, art is infused in the sciences when one considers the significant contributions that artists continually provide with two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations of the various organisms that inhabit the planet as well as representations of these organisms' habitats. These pieces of art provide essential visual aids that assist
scientists from various disciplines to learn from other scientists' discoveries and to either further their own investigations or make use of the material in a related but different direction.
Art and anatomy provide the prime example of the collaborative efforts that scientists and artists make together in creating masterpieces. The union of anatomy and art allowed for incredible works of art to be produced starting around the late 15th century (National Library of Medicine, 2004). At this point in medical history, scientists began to investigate the anatomy that existed beneath the skin in a more thorough manner. Human dissections were rare around the start of the Renaissance period due to the general population's disdain for such practices. The strong religious presence within the government at this time in history actually made provisions for human dissections, and allotted for a certain number of bodies to be given to medical schools. However, it was common for the schools never to receive the bodies due to the townspeople disrupting their delivery (Hilloowala, 1995).
The advent of the Renaissance provided an increased interest in human anatomy and the arts. At this critical point in history, influential members of society were willing to provide laws and funding to spark all the necessary elements needed to lead to the development of the partnership between the artist and scientist. This union provided masterpieces of art and science helping to advance the interest and the popularity of dissections to further scientific investigations of human health. The art work produced varied from a three-dimensional model to a two-dimensional illustration, served a key role for the instructor in the art and science classroom. The collaboration between artist and scientist even helped to educate the general public about their anatomy and the various ailments that were affecting their bodies (National Library of Medicine, 2004).
Many have the misconception that scientists have no artistic capability. Leonardo da Vinci is a prime example of a famous artist who is not necessarily thought of as also a brilliant scientist (National Library of Medicine, 2004). This unit is not only to teach students the important relationship of their senses with that of their brains, but to enlighten the students to the critical role art plays in science. Art is used frequently throughout the unit in order to develop the students' ability to recognize and understand the importance of recording observations using not only words but through the use of sketches and models. Sketches are one of the main tools that scientists use in recording their observations when studying an organism in the field or under a microscope. This unit will take the students on a journey beginning with observing and analyzing art representing the human form to becoming an artist through the creation of drawings and models that represent key anatomical structures found within the central nervous system.
The combination of anatomy and art is the perfect union to engage students in acquiring an understanding of the central nervous system. This unit covers the major anatomical features of the central and peripheral nervous systems with a greater emphasis on the anatomy of the brain. This unit utilizes the five senses (vision, taste, smell, touch, and hearing) in order to engage and to provide a reference point for the students as they are immersed in the abstract subject of anatomy.
