A new exhibition of da Vinci鈥檚 anatomical drawings reveal him as a scientist ahead of his time
Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist, Queen鈥檚 Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London, 4 May to 7 October 2012
AROUND 1513, Leonardo da Vinci made detailed drawings of the heart and wrote nearly 2000 words of notes on the organ in his characteristic mirror handwriting. Intrigued by the way the aortic valve opens and closes to ensure blood flows in only one direction, he set about constructing a model.
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鈥淔irst pour wax into the gate of an ox鈥檚 heart so that you may see the true shape of the gate,鈥� he wrote. With hardened wax as a template, he recreated the structure in glass. By pumping a mixture of water and grass seed through the glass he was able to observe how the widening at the base of the aorta caused swirls of seeds. These eddies, he believed, helped to close 鈥渢he little doors of the heart鈥� 鈥� the three cusps of the valve.
These studies are among 87 original drawings on display in Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist, the largest ever exhibition of his anatomical works. According to curator Martin Clayton, it is time da Vinci was celebrated as a scientist. 鈥淢any of Leonardo鈥檚 drawings have been regarded as science in the service of art,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 want to make the point that this is proper science.鈥�
鈥淢any da Vinci drawings have been regarded as science in the service of art. This is proper science鈥�
However, it is the interface between da Vinci鈥檚 worlds that proves most fascinating. In some drawings it is difficult to discern precisely where his observations end and his imaginings begin 鈥� as is the case with The CardiovascularSystem and Principal Organs of a Woman (below), drawn around 1509. Reflecting a widely held belief of the time, it depicts the uterus with seven chambers.
This work also shows how his artistic background helped his study of anatomy. Pinpricks dot the edges of blood vessels and organs, transforming the drawing into a stencil, a technique commonly used for creating frescos.
Da Vinci鈥檚 renderings became more accurate when he began dissecting human cadavers 鈥� he studied at least 30, including 20 while working at the University of Pavia with the anatomy professor Marcantonio della Torre. He had intended to compile his anatomical studies into a treatise on the subject. When he died in 1519, however, his notebooks 鈥� filled with hundreds of breathtaking renderings 鈥� were still unpublished.
Although da Vinci did not realise his anatomical ambition during his lifetime, Clayton is convinced that his extraordinary drawings secure his legacy: 鈥淗e was the equal of any anatomist in history.鈥�