Human Anatomy: A Visual History from the Renaissance to the Digital Age

Praised by Nature ("stunning"), the London Times ("remarkable"), and the Guardian ("mesmeric"), this lavishly illustrated book chronicles the remarkable history of anatomical illustration. Before the invention of photography, artists played an essential role in medical science, recording human anatomy in startlingly direct and often moving images. Over 400 years, beginning with Vesalius, they charted the main systems of the body, made precise studies of living organs, documented embryonic development, and described pathologies. Human Anatomy includes portfolios of the work of 19 great anatomical artists, with concise biographies, and culminates with the Visible Human Project, which uses digital tools to visualize the human body.

Praise for Human Anatomy:

"From Leonardo da Vinci's exquisite pen-and-ink drawings of the human skeleton to the digital Visible Human Project in its three-dimensional glory, this fascinating book . . . documents more than 500 years of anatomical illustration in living color."
 -Scientific American

Benjamin A. Rifkin is an art historian with a keen interest in scientific illustration. Michael J. Ackerman is a biomedical engineer and a pioneer in the field of medical informatics. He was the primary developer of the initial concept for the Visible Human Project, and has received numerous science awards. Judith Folkenberg is a freelance writer and book artist who binds and makes books by hand.