The Internal Aesthetics of the Human Body – A Multidisciplinary Approach

Abstract

There is not one single article in the available literature dealing with internal aesthetics. Two brains were dissected by us, a radiogram of 1 brain was performed, 2 heads and 1 trunk were serially sectioned, and vascular casts were made of several organs. Finally, 210 histologic slices of various specimens were made. Historically, some animal and human organs, or their models, especially of the heart and liver, were used for a future prediction or as votive items in ancient times. Later on, the sacred heart was often painted in the portraits of Christ. Da Vinci and Vesalius during the Renaissance artistically presented the aesthetics of many organs, including Bourgery and Pernkopf some 3 and 4 centuries later. Modern digital artists presented them in 3D. In conclusion, gifted individuals in the Paleolithic and Neolithic times, in the ancient civilizations, and in the antique period depicted several organs, mainly for religious reasons. From the Renaissance onward, and particularly in modern times, the aesthetics of virtually all organs was shown in anthropology, fine art, and medicine.