the journal of literature and the arts at saint david’ s school
more diseases being identified and diagnosed. This was a breakthrough that made the world safer(“ Anatomy: Art and Science”). Another monumental breakthrough was the work of William Harvey. He revolutionized medicine by demonstrating that blood circulates continuously through the body, pumped by the heart. In his 1628 work De Motu Cordis, he proved that blood flows in a closed loop, contradicting the 1,500-year-old Galenic belief that blood was constantly consumed and produced. Not only did dissection expand the knowledge of scientists, but there was a huge jump in the rest of humankind’ s scientific and anatomical interest and understanding.
Even more than others, artists quickly became very interested in dissection and anatomy. In the Renaissance, to be a successful artist was to be an anatomist. Artists were interested in lifelike portrayals of the human body, and they used dissections to get a deeper understanding of how the structures of the body worked together. As well as closely observing live models, many Renaissance artists saw human dissection as a pivotal learning tool that could greatly benefit their art practice( Bambach). Some attended human dissection lessons taught by skilled anatomists as a part of their artistic training. Others went a stage further, even carrying out their own dissections in order to gain an in-depth knowledge of the inner workings of the human body( Lesso). One example is Leonardo da Vinci, whose incredibly detailed drawings of the human body are now recognized as important breakthroughs in scientific research. Leonardo da Vinci’ s obsession with anatomy began as a way to paint more realistic figures, but it eventually evolved into a profound scientific quest to understand the mechanics of life. Over his lifetime, he dissected more than 30 human corpses, meticulously documenting his findings with
2