An unconscious naked man lying on a table being attacked by little demons armed with surgical instruments; representing the effects of chloroform on the human body

An unconscious naked man lying on a table being attacked by little demons armed with surgical instruments; representing the effects of chloroform on the human body

"One of several paintings commissioned by Henry S. Wellcome around 1912 from Richard Cooper, who was then working in Paris. Cooper was educated at Tonbridge and then trained as an artist in Paris before the First World War. In 1914 he joined the British Army and in 1916 was transferred to the Royal Engineers. His obituary in The times says that he worked on camouflage with Solomon J. Solomon RA as well as acting as official war artist for The graphic. After the war he enjoyed a flourishing career as a graphic artist designing posters: he is particularly well known for his advertisements for the London Underground"

1 painting : watercolour, with gouache, bodycolour and pencil ; sheet 42.8 x 57 cm

Cooper, Richard Tennant, 1885-1957.

Wellcome
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/vvuzurxb

[approximately 1912]

Exhibited in "Pain: passion, compassion, sensibility" at The Science Museum, London, 12 February-20 June 2004
Exhibited in "Pijn" (Pain) at Museum Dr Guislain, Ghent, 8 Oct. 2005-30 April 2006.
Exhibited in "Schlaf und Traum" at Dresden Deutsches Hygiene Museum, 31 March-3 October 2007
Exhibited in "Sleeping and dreaming" at Wellcome Collection, London, 29 November 2007--9 March 2008