How Anatomy Informs Art…and Vice Versa
Written by Luca Voli
Edited by Darren Shum
When we think of the relationship between anatomy and art, it’s often a one-way street: without an understanding of anatomy, artists would be incapable of accurately depicting living organisms in their work. Perhaps the most prominent example of this artistic dependency on anatomy is found in the humanist movement of the Italian Renaissance, which used precise anatomical models to convey the idealized human form (think Michelangelo’s David or da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man). Yet, while it is certainly true that anatomy informs art, we rarely consider the reverse: how has art informed anatomy, and how does it continue to do so?
We can gather insight into this question by returning to the Renaissance. Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) was a Belgian physician widely considered to be the father of modern anatomy, best known for his two famous 1543 publications, the Fabrica and the Epitome. Both works provided a vast, detailed collection of human anatomical depictions based on dissections performed by Vesalius himself. The images were primarily wood cuts, a technique in which designs were carved into wooden blocks, covered in ink, and then pressed onto paper. This artistic method allowed Vesalius to convey complex structures in a cost-effective manner that could be easily and rapidly disseminated to a wide audience, from medical students to physicians and surgeons. Additionally, many of the images feature paper cutouts that appear to jump off the page, serving as a great visual indicator of the precise locations of organs [1, 2]. In other words, these works used art and its diverse styles to improve the contemporary understanding of anatomy and to aid in the education of medical practitioners.
Photos from wikimedia (left) wikipedia (middle), metmuseum.org (right). Curated by Camille Parisot (cap364@cornell.edu).
But this concept doesn’t only apply to olden times — art continues to serve as an aid for continuing medical education, albeit in a more “modern” sense. For example, medical schools such as the Mayo Clinic are incorporating 3D printing into their curricula to help students better visualize anatomical structures. Studies suggest that the ability to see, feel, and manipulate physical 3D models enhances students’ interest in studying anatomy, just as Vesalius’s woodcuts and paper cutouts did centuries earlier. Furthermore, students can create and adjust the models to achieve a greater personal understanding, providing a platform for a higher quality of learning [3].
Yet today’s art is no longer limited to physical models. Virtual reality (VR) offers another powerful means of visualizing anatomy, perhaps even more intimately than any other form of art. Take the Head Mounted Device (HMD): a headset that covers the eyes and projects a virtually constructed image — like that of a human body — to the user. By establishing a sense of immersion, HMDs allow medical students and researchers alike to interact with the human anatomy as if they were dissecting a real cadaver, without any of the associated practical or ethical concerns. Similarly to 3D-printed images, studies have reported that students learn more effectively with HMDs due to the appealing convenience of the devices [4].
Photo from Head Mounted Displays for Medical Use - Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Curated by Camille Parisot (cap364@cornell.edu)
Ultimately, anatomy and art are a reciprocal pair: each one informs and enhances the other. As our understanding of anatomy grows, artists will be able to more realistically depict human beings and other forms of life in their works. And as the complexity and degree of immersion of this art improve, it will in turn assist future medical students and researchers as they continue to explore the intricacies of anatomy.
Luca Voli ‘27 is in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at gev29@cornell.edu.
