1400's anatomy

I thought it would be interesting to see what people in the 1400s knew about the human body, so I sent myself there and looked around. I found that many artists of the time were anatomists by necessity. Leonardo had good company in the field. Among his peers were Italians, Vasari and Pollaiuolo.

The primary means of self-education for these pioneers was dissection of corpses. Thorough drawings came as a result. It wasn't until 1489 that Da Vinci began studying anatomy. He began with a human skull, and by about 1510 had produced the most detailed representations of human anatomy to date. None of these works, howevever, were published until after his death.

By accident, I have noticed that Leonardo had few relationships with women. His closest companions were his two young pupils, and early on there was talk of buggery. I guess it is possible that Leonardo's appreciation for the feminine was a product of jealousy, but it matters not. He was critisised for focusing on the beauty found in the androgenous, possibly because fault could not be found in the technical aspect of his work.

So although it wasn't until the turn of the 15th century, I think I have found adequate evidence that Leonardo was the greatest anatomist of the Renaissance Era. I wonder if he was a botanist as well...I will ponder that in the garden. Caio for now.