Susan Dorothea White a woman, an Australian aboriginal. Her 'female disciples' are sitting to her right and left: women from all corners of the world..." and "...the image generates intense discussion". An American doctoral dissertation and a 1999 journal article analyse "The First Supper" as "a subversive postmodern ironic reading of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper"". White's 2012 painting "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Freeman" references Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by setting it in a contemporary university laboratory with each of the onlookers rendered as an anatomical prosection and skeleton. The painting was first exhibited in a 'circuito
History of anatomy research. Only certified anatomists were allowed to perform dissections, and sometimes then only yearly. These dissections were sponsored by the city councilors and often charged an admission fee, rather like a circus act for scholars. Many European cities, such as Amsterdam, London, Copenhagen, Padua, and Paris, all had Royal anatomists (or some such office) tied to local government. Indeed, Nicolaes Tulp was Mayor of Amsterdam for three terms. Though it was a risky business to perform dissections, and unpredictable depending on the availability of fresh bodies, "attending" dissections was legal. The supply of printed anatomy books from Italy and France