29/11/13 Medical Art and Leonardo Da Vinci

Forensic Art is a Masters course taught at the University of Dundee, and we received a lecture on the 10th of October on Medical art and it's relevance and changes throughout history.

Before the invention of the camera, anatomical and medical illustrations were vital to learning and teaching medical practice- what was inside of the body could only be seen during dissections and operations, so it was vital to have references and representations outside of these small windows of opportunity. Medical depictions can be found in the likes of Egyptian art, showing the beginnings of medical practice in ancient times. 

There were some significant steps forward in medical art between the 11th and 15th Century in Europe, as illustrators attempted to depict organ systems. However, these drawings were rather primitive, and instead of being based on observation, they were based on text.

Some of the most influential studies in the human body, however, were created during the 15th and 16th century by Leonardo Da Vinci, and his medical drawings are still used today in teaching. Medical illustration did not exist as a profession at this time,so it was even more significant that Da Vinci created anatomical drawings and observations.

About a year ago, a sheet of his anatomical sketches were featured in an exhibition, Ten Drawings by Leonardo Da Vinci, A Diamond Jubilee Celebration, which took place in the McManus Gallery here in Dundee. I was lucky enough to get several chances to see these drawings, and the opportunity to discover medical aspect of Da Vinci's work. 

Leonardo Da Vinci first showed an interest in medical observations in the 1480s to improve his figure painting and accuracy. Peter Abrahams, Professor of Clinical Anatomy at Warwick Medical School, states that:

"The most important skill for a medical artist is precision. Only draw what you see."

It was not uncommon for Renaissance artists to make lay a foundation with human anatomy as part of their training, however Leonardo conducted his own dissections himself, which was rather unusual. 

Over the years, Da Vinci was granted greater and greater access to human material, through university hospitals, monasteries, and his collaboration with Marcantenio della Torre, Professor of Anatomy around 1510, when he created his best anatomical work. By the end of his life, he had performed over 30 dissections, which is proven by the quantity of his surviving drawings, most of which were directly observed, including the two images featured below.   

The Bones of the Foot, and the Shoulder, 1510
One of the 10 Leonardo Da Vinci
Drawings in the Royal Collection

The Veins and Muscles of the Arm
On the opposite side of the sheet with
The Bones of the Foot, and the Shoulder

Thirty of Da Vinci's un-published medical illustrations have been displayed in Edinburgh, right next to MRI and CT scans in order to prove the accuracy and attention to detail Leonardo had in his anatomical work. Even though technology has advanced and evolved over the years, allowing for more detailed images to be more available, Da Vinci's artworks continue to influence modern medical artists.

"We draw the things that can't be photographed...what happens inside."

"...computers can only do so much."

Phillip Ball, Chairman of the Medical Artists Association

Leonardo Da Vinci's medical artworks prove that skilfully hand drawn anatomy sketches share the same, if not more power, than more modern computer generated images, and his work will probably be relevant in medicine for hundreds more years to come.