Frank H. Netter
| Frank H. Netter | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 April 1906 New York, NY, USA |
| Died | 17 September 1991 (aged 85) |
| Education | New York University School of Medicine |
| Known for | Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Physician (Surgeon) |
| Specialism | Medical illustrator |
Frank H. Netter (25 April 1906 – 17 September 1991) was an American surgeon and celebrated medical illustrator. The first edition of his Atlas of Human Anatomy — his "personal Sistine Chapel" — was published in 1989; he was a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine where he was first published in 1957.
Frank Henry Netter was born in Manhattan at 53rd Street and Seventh Avenue, and grew up wanting to be an artist. In high school, he obtained a scholarship to study at the National Academy of Design, doing so at night while continuing high school. After further studying at the Art Students League of New York and with private teachers, he began a commercial art career, quickly achieving success and doing work for the Saturday Evening Post and The New York Times. However, his family disapproved of a career as an artist and he agreed to study medicine. After getting a degree at the City College of New York, he completed medical school at New York University and a surgical internship at Bellevue Hospital and attempted to begin practicing medicine. However, as Netter put it: "This was in 1933—the depths of the Depression—and there was no such thing as medical practice. If a patient ever wandered into your office by mistake, he didn't pay."
Having continued doing freelance art during his medical training, including some work for his professors, he fell back on medical art to supplement his income. In particular, pharmaceutical companies began seeking Netter for illustrations to help sell new products, such as Novocain. Soon after a misunderstanding wherein Netter asked for $1,500 for a series of 5 pictures and an advertising manager agreed to and paid $1,500 each - $7,500 for the series - Netter gave up the practice of medicine.
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