Engraved frontispiece to Andreas Vesalius, Opera omnia anatomica & chirurgica (Leiden, 1725)
Andreas Vesalius (1514-64) revolutionized the study of anatomy by emphasizing hands-on learning through dissection and firsthand observations. He also transformed anatomical publications by using more accurate bodily depictions and images. The frontispiece to a 1725 edition of his original 1543 publication depicts Vesalius working firsthand with a cadaver to demonstrate human anatomy to students. In this scene, he is both the dissector and the teacher. He is shown holding one hand up as if lecturing while using his other hand to dissect a cadaver. (KW)
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