Nina Siegal's The Anatomy Lesson is an ambitious, inventive and sometimes uneven novel that imagines the lives of the figures in Rembrandt's group portrait of the same name--his first major commission. It is historical fiction steeped in impeccable research and intimate knowledge of Amsterdam at the height of its artistic vitality.
The story is told from the alternating points of view of its many characters over the course of a single day. It begins with Aris, a one-handed coat thief whose public hanging leads to the eventual dissection of his corpse in an anatomy lesson conducted by Amsterdam's official City Anatomist, Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. Through it all, a young Rembrandt plans, then paints his portrait of the dissection, struggling to reconcile his artistic and humanist vision with the requirements of his commission. Joining them are Aris's pregnant lover, Flora; René Descartes; and the curio dealer who must procure the body for Dr. Tulp. Pia, a contemporary art conservator, adds her observations about the painting in short chapters that punctuate the historical story.
This structure can make the novel feel disjointed, but it adds layers of rich period detail and perspective. Siegal is especially effective in conveying the murky intersection of science, religion and morality in a rapidly changing city. She is an acute observer of art and of human nature. If The Anatomy Lesson wears its knowledge a little too self-consciously, it is nevertheless a thought-provoking and richly populated novel by a talented new voice. --Jeanette Zwart, freelance writer and reviewer