
The return to anatomy, c.1506-10
In the aftermath of his work on the Battle of Anghiari, Leonardo returned to the study of anatomy, which had first interested him around 1490. He now had access to human corpses for dissection, suggesting that he now had some reputation as an anatomist, or at least that he was on good terms with physicians who facilitated his work.
In the winter of 1507-8 Leonardo performed a post-mortem on an old man in the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova in Florence. Leonardo recorded his findings from the dissection in the notebook that he had used almost 20 years earlier for his skull studies.
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The vessels and nerves of the neck. Verso: The vessels of the liver
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The gastrointestinal tract, and the bladder. Verso: The gastrointestinal tract
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The bladder. Verso: The lungs
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The uterus of a gravid cow. Verso: The anatomy of the mouth
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
The cardiovascular system and principal organs of a woman
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)