Sixteenth Century
The first true great anatomic illustrations were by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), who was an acclaimed inventor, engineer, and architect prior to his achieving fame as an artist. Illustrations that follow from "De humani corporis fabrica libri septem" by Andreas Vesalius mark the beginning of modern medicine since they are the result of independent investigation.
Vitruvian Man (ca. 1487) by Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci drew the Vitruvian Man after the inspiration of architect Vitruvius in order to demonstrate the "perfect" proportions of man. The male anatomy in separate positions superimposes exactly on both a circle and a square.
sketches by Leonardo da Vinci (ca. 1500)
the skeletal system
sketches by Leonardo da Vinci (ca. 1500)
the muscular system
sketches by Leonardo da Vinci (ca. 1500)
principal arteries and organs of the female
De humani corporis fabrica libri septem (1543) by Andreas Vesalius
Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) brought medicine into the modern era with his monumental work De humani corporis fabrica libri septem (1543), now considered one of the greatest books in the history of medicine and science. Vesalius took that first great step away from the dogma that had strangled scientific investigation for centuries when he discarded all of Galen’s previously held “truths” and based his anatomic investigations on what he himself observed with his own careful dissections. This is a self-portrait from the first edition.
De humani corporis fabrica libri septem (1543) by Vesalius
the title page
De humani corporis fabrica libri septem (1543) by Vesalius
the skeletal system
De humani corporis fabrica libri septem (1543) by Vesalius
the muscular system
La dissection des parties du corps humain (1546) by Charles Estienne
a cross section of the brain
Anatomy lesson given by Michelangelo to other artists by Bartolomeo Passarotti (1529-1592)