Death mask Otto Lanz

“Best art expert among surgeons, best surgeon among art experts”

Professor Otto Lanz (1865-1935, born in Switzerland) was a striking figure, who held an important position in Amsterdam society. In 1902, he was appointed a professor at the University of Amsterdam, where he became known for his progressive ideas concerning hygienic conditions, appendectomy and skin transplantation. Among his fellow citizens he became especially known for his collection of Italian art, part of which he used to furnish a room in the Rijksmuseum. Furthermore, he initiated the building of the Boerhaave Clinic and a public swimming pool, named Zuiderbad; both were located at the Museum Square, where Lanz himself lived in a villa. The fact that this mask was made after his death reflects the great respect that people had for him.

The challenge is to do justice to the versatile and remarkable personality that lies behind those closed eyes. Can digital media revive Otto Lanz?

Written by: Esther Boeles, Curator of Special Collections, University of Amsterdam