Camper

Camper, PETER, anatomist, born at Leyden 11th May 1722, studied there, and became professor of Medicine in 1750 at Franeker, in 1755 at Amsterdam, and in 1765 at Groningen. In 1773 he resigned his post, and, on being elected a member of the state council in 1787, removed to the Hague, where he died, 7th April 1789. Camper was distinguished not only for the services he rendered to anatomy, surgery, obstetrics, and medical jurisprudence, but also as a promoter of the fine arts. He was remarkably skilful in pen-and-ink drawing, painted in oil, embossed, and even acquired considerable experience as a sculptor. For his observations on the facial angle, see article SKULL. His work on the connection of anatomy with the art of drawing was an important contribution to the theory of art. His collected writings, with plates, appeared at Paris (3 vols. 1803).