The Reward of Cruelty

John Bell, after William Hogarth

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of an anatomical dissection taking place in a lecture theatre. A central figure is performing a dissection on a human body on a round table, surrounded by other figures observing intently. The setting is crowded with onlookers, some in academic attire. In the background, there are skeletal figures on either side and the room is ornately decorated with large windows and a crest above the central area. In the foreground, there are elements such as a dissection instrument, a cauldron with skulls, and a dog sniffing around a bucket.