Twee middenvoetsbeenderen van een eland en mogelijk van een hert before 1869

This print shows two metatarsal bones, one from a deer and the other from an elk. The anonymous artist reproduced these bones using a photomechanical printing process, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. In rendering bones as images, we can consider the relationship between the body, and the means of its reproduction. The stark monochrome aesthetic emphasizes the texture and density of the bone, with its naturally occurring ridges and porous surfaces. This is an industrialized process, capable of mass production; each impression is identical, not unique like a drawing. There is also a degree of abstraction, as the bones are removed from their original context. Here, they are made available for scientific study, and commodified as reproducible images. This speaks to the social context of scientific discovery, with the potential for broad distribution of knowledge. Thinking about these bones through the lens of craft, design, and materiality invites us to expand the boundaries of traditional art history, and question the distinctions between fine art and the everyday world.