Nerves of the Leg and Foot, Antique Hirschfeld Anatomy Print, 1866

This antique Hirschfeld anatomy print of the nerves of the leg and foot is Plate 61 from Hirschfeld and Leveille's Nevrologie atlas, an original hand-colored lithograph published in Paris by G. Masson in 1866. Two views of the leg and foot run from knee to toes. The first is the superficial dissection, with the subcutaneous veins and cutaneous nerves spread over the fascia and onto the dorsum of the foot. The second is a deeper dissection, with the calf muscles opened and the deep vessels and nerve exposed down to the ankle.

The plate comes from the atlas to Ludovic Hirschfeld's Nevrologie et Esthesiologie, the second edition of his treatise and iconography of the human nervous system and the organs of sense, published in Paris by G. Masson in 1866. Every figure was drawn from life by J. B. Leveille directly from Hirschfeld's own dissections, and the sheet was printed by Lemercier of the rue de Seine. The technique is lithography, and the coloring is original hand color.

Leveille's plates are among the most admired anatomical illustrations of the nineteenth century. They are exact enough to teach from, yet drawn with a restraint that keeps them beautiful rather than merely clinical, and a Hirschfeld anatomy print of this kind will interest collectors of scientific illustration and the history of medicine. This hand-colored lithograph would suit the consulting room of a physician, physiotherapist or orthopaedic surgeon, a study or a library, and it works well hung in a series with other nerve plates from the same atlas.

Condition is good. The sheet shows light age toning, scattered foxing and minor marginal marks. There is slight staining in the lower-right margin and light wear along the right edge. The toning is ordinary for paper of this age. Please review the images for further condition details.

This is an original antique plate, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.