1700’s medical illustrators be like “hey boss can I put a rhinoceros behind this anotomically correct sketch of the human skeleton” and the boss be like “only for the books being published in these specific european countries” and then they high-five and go out for drinks
Medical illustrator:
France, Holland and Germany:
yoooo that’s Clara the rhinoceros – she was towed around Europe so much in the mid 18thc. as an exotic attraction that she became like a fad and all sorts of artists drew, painted, and sculpted her (and also randomly stuck her in the bkgds of anatomical drawings)
lol, for everyone asking about the ‘void face’ woman – she’s wearing a mask called a ‘vizard’ or ‘moretta’. they originally show up in late 16thc upper class European ladies fashion. They were worn while traveling to maintain a fashionably pale complexion, but they evolved over time to become a popular component of masquerades.
In Venice in particular, the style lingered and became popular to wear during Carnival, or as a way for upper class women to disguise their identity so they could engage in activities that might otherwise be considered improper (gambling, flirting, or just like… going about the city without a proper chaperone)
an interesting construction note – these masks weren’t tied on. They were made with a bead or button attached inside the mask which was held between the teeth. If a wearer wanted to speak, she would have to remove the mask.
