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Edward Tyson (1650–1708) was one of the great comparative anatomists. He demonstrated for the first time the probability of a relationship between the anatomy of man and other animals, which was not established more clearly until Charles Darwin published 'The Descent of Man', 150 years later. Tyson’s most significant work was 'The Anatomy of a Pygmie compared with that of a Monkey, an Ape and a Man', published in 1699. With this work, which contained the first account of the anatomy of the chimpanzee (a ‘pygmie’), Tyson initiated the study of the anthropoid apes, distinguishing them for the first time as a group separate from monkeys and from man. Tyson was physician at Bridewell and Bethlem Hospital, and became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1683.
Royal College of Physicians, London
London
Title
Edward Tyson (1650–1708)
Date
c.1695
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 126.4 x W 102.2 cm
Accession number
X76
Acquisition method
gift from Dr Richard Tyson, 1764
Work type
Painting
