Allegorical Title Page, Ontleding des Menschelyken Lichaams

Allegorical Title Page, the Anatomy of Humane Bodies

It is well established within medical history that William Cowper's Anatomy of Humane Bodies represents one of the greatest acts of plagiarism in medical publishing history, but why? Cowper, or Samuel Smith, legally purchased 300 imprints of the plates from Govard Bidloo's publisher Henry Boom; the publishers of anatomical texts often owned the engravings, and thus retained the right to sell imprints of the illustrations, so long as they were not edited in any way and were published alongside an original text. Cowper did revise the letter references in many of the illustrations with pen and ink, but did not have any of the plates re-engraved. This much is evident in the allegorical title page of Cowper's first edition, within which the publishers pasted an English title over the original Dutch title of Ontleding des Menschelyken Lichaams. 

Cowper also wrote an entirely new and original text to accommodate the illustrations, showing great effort on Cowper's part as he offered original research and new speculations on the body. Cowper even commissioned 9 new plates, designed by Henry Cook and engraved by Michiel van der Gucht to detail the full musculature of the body.

Within Cowper’s preface he briefly references the authorship of the illustrations, stating that “these figures were drawn after the Life, by the Masterly Painter G. de Lairesse, and Engrav’d by no less a Hand, and Represent the Parts of Humane Bodies far beyond any Exstant; and were some time since Publish’d by Dr. Bidloo, now Professor of Anatomy in the University of Leyden." Unfortunately, the book was published under Cowper's name, with reference only made to Gerard de Lairesse as the artist who designed the original illustrations. Govard Bidloo is only mentioned as using the plates in his own anatomical atlas published in 1690; Cowper ignores citing his ownership completely. As if to aggravate the Dutch anatomist further, Cowper offered numerous harsh criticisms towards Bidloo's contributions throughout the text.