Anatomical Illustration of the female genitalia, Hendrik Bary, after Reinier de Graaf, 1672

Anatomical Illustration of the female genitalia, Hendrik Bary, after Reinier de Graaf, 1672

engraving, h 260mm × w 20mm More details

In 1672, physician and anatomist Reinier de Graaf published his De mulierum organis about the female reproductive organs, with prints by Hendrik Bary. De Graaf was the first to conclude that a foetus was the product not just of a man’s seed, but also of a woman’s egg. He discovered what he called blisters, which later became known as Graafian follicles.