He may be renowned for masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, but Leonardo da Vinci is also one of the greatest anatomists the world has seen.
- Da Vinci began researching the human body to ensure his artworks were as accurate as possible
- Between 1507 and 1513 he dissected more than 30 human corpses
- His sketches of the human body are now being displayed against 21st Century imagery – with da Vinci’s work proving remarkably accurate
His intricate knowledge of the human body, which was years ahead of his time, is demonstrated in a collection of notebooks which he filled with detailed studies of organs, bones, vessels and muscles using new illustrative techniques.
The collection of notebooks, which date between 1452 and 1519, and chart much of the Italian renaissance artist’s groundbreaking studies of the human body.
Almost 500 years after his death, the drawings in his anatomical notebooks are being displayed at an exhibition in Ediburgh alongside 21st-century pictures of the same body parts – with da Vinci’s sketches proving startlingly accurate.
Curators say his work foreshadows modern techniques like MRI scans and 3D computer modelling ‘to an astonishing degree’.
Da Vinci began researching the human body to ensure his paintings were as true to nature as possible. Between 1507 and 1513 he dissected more than 30 human corpses, including that of a 100-year-old man.
Detailed: Da Vinci’s sketches of muscles and skeletons foreshadow modern techniques, such as MRI scans and 3D computer modelling, to ‘an astonishing degree’
Comparison: Leonardo da Vinci’s anatomical drawing of a hand is remarkably similar to modern medical scans and models which show just how true to life the artist’s work was
The polymath was able to use his skills in art, architecture and engineering to produce images of the body never seen before.
Exhibition curator Martin Clayton, of Royal Collection Trust, said: ‘This is the first time that Leonardo da Vinci’s anatomical drawings have been displayed alongside their modern-day counterparts.
‘It’s incredibly exciting to discover how Leonardo’s investigations 500 years ago foreshadowed the work of today’s leading anatomists to an astonishing degree.’
Dedicated: Da Vinci dissected more than 30 human corpses to learn about the human anatomy so his paintings and sculptures would be as realistic and accurate as possible
Peter Abrahams, professor of clinical anatomy at Warwick Medical School, who helped the show’s curators, said: ‘In many ways Leonardo predicted the 20th-century revolution in various medical imaging techniques.
‘His use of cross sections and slices to show deep internal structures within the body foreshadowed the modern techniques of CT and MRI scanning.
‘The anatomical accuracy of Leonardo’s drawings has rarely ever been surpassed, and I still use them to teach surgeons and medical students today.’
The muscles of the shoulder, arm and the bones of the foot, c.1510-11: A 3D film of a dissected shoulder will show the incredible accuracy of the many drawings of the bones, muscles, nerves and tendons of the joint.
Master of the arts: Many professors of anatomy say they still use da Vinci’s drawings to teach medical students as the accuracy of his work has rarely been surpassed.
source:::::mailonline.com UK
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