InsideHistoryDigital

might be a rather gruesome subject matter but
It
have long been fascinated with the human
artists
This fascination exploded during the
body.
period. It was during this time that the
Renaissance
aimed to show the world the fine lines
artist
art and reality. In their never-ending quest
between
perfection, artists were focusing on the human
for
in order to make their work more real.
body
the most famous of the era, Leonardo Da
Perhaps
was one such artist who ventured into the
Vinci,
of anatomy in order to create his perfect
world
He had previously studied the human
masterpieces.
during his artistic apprenticeship with
body
but Da Vinci's interest in the subject went
Verrocchio
Da Vinci, a particular interest in any subject
For
was difficult to extinguish once the flame
matter
begun to burn. He would help with
had
then draw, in detail, what he saw. His
dissections
despite being over 500 years old, remain a
sketches,
standard in the world of anatomical
gold
natural curiosity and a desire to represent the
A
form as perfectly as possible through art led
human
Vinci on a highly secretive personal journey. He
Da
his drawings and work on anatomy to
wanted
become a published treatise. If he had
eventually
so, he would have transformed medical
done
of the body even before Vesalius released
knowledge
groundbreaking work, De Humani Corporis
his
work would reside among his personal papers
his
their significance lost to the world until their
with
THE ART OF
ANATOMY
Words: Nick Kevern
Images: Wellcome Collection/Rijksmuseum/Wikimedia Commons
further.
illustration.
Image Credit:
Studies of Embryos by Leonardo da Vinci (Pen over red chalk 1510-1513)
Wikimedia Commons
Fabrica, in 1543. However, following his death in 1519,