Andreas Vesalius publishes a seminal work, De humani corporis fabrica libri septem ("The Seven Books on the Structure of the Human Body"), the first accurate anatomy text, correctly describing, depicting, and delineating the anatomy of bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, internal organs, and the brain.
The beautifully illustrated text includes masterful illustrations that correct errors of Galen and disposes of an accumulated baggage of medieval superstitions and legends.
Vesalius, twenty-nine in 1543, performs pioneering dissections of human cadavers and initiates the use of dissection as a teaching aid. (He is often called the father of anatomy.)
Born in Brussels, he had become a professor of anatomy in Padua, approaching his subject with straightforward scientific experimentation, rather than accepting many of the incorrect observations of Galen and pursuing the study of the topic through metaphysical dialectic.
He compares the anatomy of various animals with humans and notes the fallacy of extrapolating from one to the other.
Ambroise Paré, the preeminent surgeon of his time and an enthusiastic supporter of Vesalius’ work, helps to popularize the book among physicians and surgeons and writes a short, clear version in French.
The work is innovative not only for its pioneering scientific approach to anatomy but also for the superb illustrations that accompany the text, making it a picture book.
This publishing trend extends to topics ranging from human anatomy to maps to botanical studies.
Another important development seen in Vesalius is the elaboration of both the title page and frontispiece; these are given enhanced symbolic importance as visual commentaries on the book's contents.
