Dr. William Rimmer (1816-1879): Physician and Artist

William Rimmer was an American sculptor, painter, and gifted teacher of art anatomy whose works are still found in art museums and galleries. In addition to reviewing his career as an artist, this paper examines some of the details about his medical training and fifteen years as a country doctor. It has been said that Rimmer's personal and professional life may have been in part shaped by his belief in his family story that his father was heir to the French throne, a story that recent mitochondrial DNA analysis studies have shown to be unlikely.