Primate Skulls, for "Art Anatomy" 1872

Curator: This is William Rimmer's "Primate Skulls, for 'Art Anatomy'," now held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's kind of chilling, yet… elegant? Like scientific curiosity rendered in ghostly pencil lines. Curator: Rimmer, deeply interested in both art and anatomy, used such studies to understand the human form and its potential for expression. Editor: It's interesting that he focuses on primates here. Do you think he was thinking about Darwinism, and humanity's place in the grand scheme of things? Curator: Absolutely. The mid-19th century saw intense debates about evolution, and Rimmer placed his artistic investigation right in the middle of it all. Editor: Well, looking at these skulls lined up like this, I can’t help but think we're all just walking around with our mortality on the inside. Curator: Yes, Rimmer’s art often confronted the complexities of existence, blending scientific rigor with philosophical questioning. Editor: It’s a reminder of our shared origins and also, of course, our inevitable ending. It makes you think, doesn't it?