Leonardo da Vinci as an anatomist

Abstract

Introduction: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), a famous painter and sculptor of the Renaissance, is also known for his work in architecture, anatomy, geology, music, cartography, mathematics, botany, literature, engineering, and science. The Renaissance is a period in art and literature during the 15th and 16th century, the cultural movement in Western Europe, which lead to a breakthrough in the fields of science, philosophy, literature and fine arts. During the so-called High Renaissance in the first half of the 16th century, there was an ingenious idea of the artist, the individual inspired by God, who had been successful in different art forms - types of art - a Renaissance man or a Universal man (ital. uomo universale). This was the time of two geniuses, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Leonardo had left us more than 240 individual notes and drawings on the human body. Objective: To explore and describe Leonardo's contribution to anatomy through his notes and drawings, primarily his groundbreaking studies of human body. Method and material: Overview of the available Internet resources (PubMed, Cochrane Collaboration, Wikipedia) of Leonardo's drawings, through the articles and papers published in both medical and art history databases. Royal Collection Trust, United Kingdom presented in 2012 in London several exhibitions of Leonardo's drawings he made during dissections of human corps. Result: Anatomical notes and drawings like: a sketch of man's figure with outstretched hands and feet that shows heart, lungs and major blood vessels, then drawing of the neck and right arm, showing muscles of the body and the bones of the left foot, then a sketch of the cardiovascular system and major female organs, and a sketch of the fetus in the womb are just some of the many Leonardo had made during more than 30 dissections performed in his life. Da Vinci was left-handed and most of his observations are written on drawings from right to left, in mirror script. Leonardo started to learn about anatomy at an early age when apprenticed to Andrea del Verrocchio, a famous sculptor. As a successful artist, he gained permission from authorities, to make dissections of human cadavers and research at the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova in Florence and later at hospitals in Milan and Rome. He worked with Marc Antonio Della Torre, Professor of Anatomy at the University of Padua. Conclusion: Leonardo da Vinci was a versatile artist, a real Polymath (from Greek - meaning a person of versatile interests) and with his sketches he most certainly contributed to the anatomy of his time, and the anatomy of today.