Revealing the fabric of the human body: Vesalius’ illustrated anatomy

When Andreas Vesalius was born on the final day of 1514, the world of European medicine was undergoing a significant change. The complete writings of Galen of Pergamon — a physician and philosopher whose theories of anatomy had remained largely unchallenged since his death in 216 — were becoming available in the original Greek for the first time in Western Europe since antiquity, and a re-examination of one of the foremost authorities in the medical canon was beginning to take shape.

By the time Vesalius turned 30, he had published De humani corporis fabrica libri septem, or On the Fabric of the Human Body in Seven Books. The Fabrica brought the debate to a head, fundamentally changing medical science and philosophy for centuries to come. In 1555, Vesalius’s continued research led to a second edition. Offered as part of Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts including Americana open for bidding 17 January to 2 February in New York, Christie’s is proud to present Andreas Vesalius’s own, heavily annotated copy of the second edition of his magnum opus. In over 1,000 annotations, Vesalius presents his plans for a third edition of the work, which he did not live to realise.

Though published early in Vesalius’s life, the Fabrica was the crown jewel in an already illustrious career. In 1533 he left his native Belgium to study at the University of Paris, where he began to investigate the anatomical theories put forth by Galen. His studies were cut short in 1536 due to the Italian War of 1536-38, and he relocated to the University of Padua, where he quickly finished his degree and became a professor.

At the time, Galen’s theories were gospel in the world of anatomy, though people had recognised inaccuracies in them. Vesalius, an esteemed scholar of Galen and a pioneer in his own right, was uniquely poised to expand our understanding of the human body, by modernising Galen and introducing his own findings.

For one, as he wrote in the Fabrica’s dedication to Charles V, Vesalius recognised the importance of combining imagery and language to accurately translate the subject of the dissected human body. ‘Although Vesalius urged the investigation of the human through the direct observation of dissection,’ says Rhiannon Knol, Specialist in Christie’s Books & Manuscripts department, ‘it wasn’t practical for every physician to be able to perform dissections on human bodies, so this book was often used in place of dissection.’

The illustrations are some of the most widely recognisable anatomical depictions of the human body, especially the series known as the ‘muscle men’, a series of fourteen large woodcuts depict bodies in balletic poses, often reminiscent of poses from medieval paintings. Progressively revealing more of the body’s interior as the series progresses, they are staged against pastoral backgrounds — specifically, the route between Padua, where Vesalius worked, and Vicenza — creating the paradoxical sensation of vitality in the bodies.

Vesalius’s oversight of every aspect of the process of its publication — from the layout to the illustration and typography — make the Fabrica a comprehensive masterwork. Employing a range of media to accurately and memorably convey his theories, it marks the beginning of modern anatomical science, and perhaps its most beautiful representation.

Much of the book’s impact in its time came from Vesalius’ ability to bring Galen’s theories into the Renaissance. He corrected inaccuracies — such as clarifying that the human breast bone had three segments, where Galen had said four — that resulted from Galen’s having never dissected a human corpse, a practice that was outlawed in the Roman Empire, but Vesalius also recognised the importance of the ancient scientist. He calls Galen ‘divine,’ and the ‘prince of Medicine,’ even as he critiqued his authority.

After the book’s publication in 1543, Vesalius was constantly rethinking how his theories were to be presented, resulting in the second edition in 1555. Between 1555 and his death in 1564, however, all that remains of his work on the Fabrica is the marginalia in this edition, essentially the author’s last words on the book.

‘Vesalius burned nearly all of his manuscripts before he left Padua to work for the Holy Roman Empire,’ says Knol, ‘so all manuscript material by him is very rare.’

His intention in these pages is clear: to prepare an even clearer third edition that would further crystallise his ideas. A staunch humanist, Vesalius dedicated his life to learning within and outside of the medical sphere. His edits included ways to make his Latin more elegant and precise, and he gave detailed instructions on how to make the letters themselves easier to read.

But his notes pertain to the contents as well. He tempers his criticisms of Galen — an issue raised by his readers — by correcting or deleting particularly combative statements. He also revisits how the brain interprets the senses. Overall, this edition demonstrates how Vesalius didn’t hold back in criticising himself much as he did prevailing medical authority. He read and re-read his own works in search of perfection, a state we are brought closer to in this unique text.

‘Vesalius worked less than 50 years after Columbus set sail,’ says Knol. ‘As a humanist of this generation, he knew that while the traditions of the past were not useless, there was much more that was yet to be discovered.’

This rare edition of Vesalius’ Fabrica annotated in the author’s hand is a remarkable intersection of scientific and artistic mastery. His theories updated those of antiquity for the Renaissance, and the illustrations within proved a constant source of inspiration for centuries of scientists, artists and scholars to follow. This copy, whose annotations are the closest we can get to Vesalius' thoughts in how he would conceive of a third edition, is a work entirely sine pari.