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Cadaver room visit connected art and science in unexpected ways

by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson

The anatomical detail in Leonardo DaVinci’s work is dead-on—in part because he spent a good deal of time with the dead. Back then, corpse study was a valued part of formal artistic training, and it informed the understanding of anatomy DaVinci needed to create masterpieces like Vitruvian Man. Students recently learned about this melding of science and art in a novel way—by visiting Dickinson’s “cadaver room.” Some were thrilled by the opportunity; others were a bit trepidatious. All emerged with a deeper understanding of how two seemingly disparate subjects—art and science—can intertwine.

The art of science and the science of art

The students are taking Creativity, Innovation, Discovery: Art and Science from the Enlightenment to AI, taught by Ty Vanover, adjunct professor of art & art history. There’s a mix of art and science majors enrolled in the class.

Together, they’re exploring how artists and scientists have worked together to help create the modern world. In past centuries, for example, detailed anatomical, botanical, celestial and mechanical illustrations both reflected and contributed to advancements in astronomy, biology, chemistry, anthropology, criminology, engineering and medicine. Students also will consider interplay between art and science in the modern era, including crime scene photography and AI-assisted art.

Welcome to the “cadaver room”

The students’ encounter with cadavers was made possible by last year’s launch of Dickinson’s Human Anatomy Course and “cadaver room,” run by Associate Professor of Biology Tiffany Frey. Frey helped Vanover prepare his students for the experience and ensured that everything ran according to protocol. She also remained with the students throughout their 30-minute visit. (Vanover, in turn, spoke with Frey’s anatomy students about the history of the medical cadaver.)

On the big day, printouts of historical anatomical illustrations were displayed in the room, allowing students to compare the artist’s renderings with the real thing.

“Seeing the actual cadavers changed the way I understand the anatomical illustrations,” says McKenna Hillman ’25 (art history), noting the artists’ efforts to beautify their subjects through lifelike colors and textures. “It was definitely an interesting experience, one that I'm very glad I had.”

Hillman also connected her initial exposure to cadavers to life’s big questions. “There was a point where I felt like my mind was trying to focus on anything but the two cadavers in the room with us—avoiding facing mortality, I suppose,” she says. “Professor Frey helped break the ice.”

Active learning alert!

The students will continue to explore art and science history in hands-on ways. An outing to the Michael L. Britton Memorial Observatory will enhance studies of artists’ and scientists’ collaborative depictions of constellations, and after reading an excerpt of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, they’ll view scientific equipment Dickinson’s archivists have nicknamed the "Frankenstein machine.”

Ella Piergrossi ’26 (physics) is excited to go to Dickinson’s Archives & Special Collections to see this historical scientific equipment, purchased for the college by Dickinson’s founder, Benjamin Rush, which reflects the 19th-century fascination with reanimation.

“It'll be a cool way to compare the popular view of science versus the actual machinery used at the time,” says Piergrossi, who plans a career in biomedical engineering.

Students enjoy grappling with big ideas like these when they step outside of the classroom and connect what they’re reading and discussing with the wider world, says Vanover. “Students want to do, rather than just hear or read about an idea or event,” he explains. “The fact that we’re able to do this with students in a cross-disciplinary way—to me, that’s the power of the liberal arts in action.”

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Published February 12, 2025