Anatomical Illustrations

On the Fabric of the Human Body was aimed at a wide audience. The book was used by medical students, but it was also intended for people who attended the public dissections which Vesalius gave, the pictures in the book providing them with a visual guide. Vesalius also hoped artists would use the book to help them produce lifelike human images. Furthermore, wealthy members of the public, keen to expand their knowledge of newly emerging medical science, bought Vesalius' book.

In order to appeal to as many people as possible the book was not only highly detailed, it was brilliantly illustrated. This would not have been possible to do without the many advances that had been made during the Renaissance, including artistic developments and the technical development of printing. Because of this, Vesalius was able to produce illustrations which were superior to any anatomical work that had been produced before. Vesalius understood the importance of pictures as a way of conveying ideas and his book is noted for its highly detailed engravings of human figures based upon his own dissections, often shown in lifelike or symbolic poses.

Use the information on this page to answer the following questions:

• What sort of people read On the Fabric of the Human Body?
• Why did Vesalius choose to make On the Fabric of the Human Body so highly illustrated?
• What advances made during the Renaissance allowed Vesalius to produce such detailed illustrations?