Dr. Wilder Penfield, along with Dr. Edwin Boldrey and Dr. Theodore Rasmussen, are credited with creating the Sensory and Motor Homunculi. While they were not the first to visualise brain function using a homunculus, they were the first to clearly distinguish between sensory and motor areas. This led to the development of two separate and distinct maps resulting in two very different looking Homunculi.. Importantly, these are not caricatures; they are three‑dimensional, mathematically precise models that must exactly adhere to Penfield’s ratios.

Penfield’s Homunculi was initially conceived as part of a thought experiment, even going so far as to imagine a world in which these miniature figures lived, he referred to this as "the world of if", or the world of cognitive possibilities.

Subsequently, he and his colleagues went on to conduct experiments involving electrical stimulation on the brains of patients undergoing open brain surgery. Their pioneering work in this field has made significant contributions to our understanding of epilepsy control.

A whole new audience
As robotics and human automation become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, Penfield’s Homunculus has found renewed relevance with a whole new audience. Engineers and designers at the forefront of robotics are showing a growing interest in Penfield’s Sensory Homunculus. Its clear representation of the mind–body connection offers a valuable conceptual tool, aiding them to develop and refine the next generation of humanoid robots.

Darker Skinned full body Homunculus

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All Homunculus sculptures, designs, and associated imagery are the intellectual property of Sharon Price-James Fine Art.
Copyright © 1994–2025 Sharon Price-James. All rights reserved.
This work is protected under copyright law.

That said, I do welcome requests. As long as you’re not reproducing my work for commercial sale, I’m usually very happy for you to use images—just ask first.