18 JUNE 1942, Page 12

THE SCHOOL OF ANATOMY

SIR,—Professor Norman Bentwich in your issue of June 5th says: "A famous painting of Rembrandt, The School of Anatomy,' shows a group of solemn Dutch doctors gathered round a body and probing it, to discover the cause of death." He is quite mistaken. It represents, as its title implies, a lesson in anatomy, not a post-mortem room.

The professor is ciemonstrating the muscles of the forearm. He raises the large flexor muscle with his forceps and by bending the fingers of his other hand shows how the muscle in question works. Sad that one of the world's masterpieces should be so misunderstood.—Yours, &c., M E. DURHAM