Medicine-art interaction in the development of modern anatomy education in Iran: focusing on the Post-Dār al-Funūn Era

Abstract

This study examines the collaboration between art and science in the history of modern anatomy education in Iran, particularly in the era following the establishment of Dār al-Funūn (1851). Using a historical-analytical approach and citation network analysis of primary sources, we trace the evolution of anatomical illustration from imitation of European texts to original creation. Our findings highlight the pivotal role of European physicians, such as Jakob Eduard Polak, in introducing modern anatomy and visual aids at Dār al-Funūn. We identify the publication of Kālbod-Shenāsi-ye Towṣifi (Descriptive Anatomy, 1944–1950 CE) as a key milestone, marking the first major physician-artist collaboration to produce original anatomical illustrations in Iran. However, the subsequent increase in reliance on foreign resources led to a decline in indigenous production, thereby representing a missed opportunity to preserve a unique scientific-artistic heritage in medical illustration in Iran. Ultimately, this trajectory reveals that, unlike the European Renaissance, where the mutual interest of physicians and artists in understanding human anatomy drove innovation, medical illustration in Iran was primarily propelled by physicians to meet educational needs.