Andreas Vesalius's fame derives from his writing of what is perhaps the most famous book in the history of medical science, 'De humanis corporis fabrica' (1543), a treatise that within a few years transformed the imperfect art of anatomy into a modern science. This extraordinary work, however, came into being not just because of its author's genius and industry, but for other reasons that remain (despite a vast body of scholarship) inadequately explored. These questions, the historical moment from which they stem, and the setting in which Vesalius produced the 'Fabrica', form the core of this volume. Some of these significant factors include the short time during which 'De fabrica' was produced, the debated authorship of its illustrations, and its immediate and subsequent impact on the teaching of anatomy. The book's significance within the context of present-day views of its historical value, and the ever increasing fascination it evokes among scholars and collectors alike, are also examined.
Andreas Vesalius and the 'Fabrica' in the age of printing
Part I. Venice and Venetian printing. The culture of Venice in the age of Vesalius and the Aldine press / Kenneth Bartlett -- Aldus Manutius and the world of Venetian publishing / Angela Nuovo -- Aldus Manutius's unfulfilled dream: Galen's journey from Campro Sant'Agostin to western culture / Lorenzo Perilli -- Part II. Paduan anatomy and the Fabrica. 'Fair Padua' as a centre of Renaissance anatomy / Andrew Cunningham -- Jan Steven van Calcar c. 1515 - c. 1546, Vesalius's illustrator / Monique Kornell -- Vesalius's methods in the production of the Fabrica with emphasis on the neuroanatomy chapters / Rinaldo F. Canalis -- Part III. Anatomy after the Fabrica: Padua and beyond. Gabrielle Falloppia: Vesalius's admirer and first critic / Rinaldo F. Canalis -- Anatomy in colour: Girolamo Fabrici d'Acquapendente (c. 1537-1619) / Raffaele de Caro -- Cut, copy, and English anatomy: Thomas Geminus and the reordering of Vesalius's canonical body / Melissa Lo -- Part IV. A twenty-first-century perspective. Vesal, 'for what he represents': Vesaliana in William Osler's collections / Hélène Cazes -- Habent sua fata libelli: the Ahmanson-Murphy Aldine collection at UCLA / Victoria Steele -- Illuminating the science of life / Christine D. Young.