Historia de la Composicion del Cuerpo Humano

Long hindered by the Church’s ban on “violating” the human body, anatomy rapidly progressed in the 16th century
42 detailed copperplates of the human body illustrate the work by Juan Valverde de Amusco (b. ca. 1525)
Valverde even corrected errors in the images of the famous anatomical work by Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564)

Historia de la Composicion del Cuerpo Humano

D-44bis Biblioteca Historicomèdica de la Universitat de València (Valencia, Spain)

Description

Historia de la Composicion del Cuerpo Humano

A collaboration of Spanish and French artists and craftsmen that yielded one of the greatest anatomical works of the 16th century. It is the Historia de la Composicion del Cuerpo Humano by Juan Valverde de Amusco (b. ca. 1525), published in Rome in 1556. The work features 42 masterful copperplates and eventually appeared in four languages and sixteen editions, four which are attributed to Gaspar Becerra (1520–1570), a student of Michelangelo (1475–1564), while the rest are improved copies of woodcuts found in the De humani corporis fabrica, a fundamental work of anatomy by Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564) which was published in 1543. This treatise represents the magnum opus of the most important Spanish anatomist of the 16th century.

Historia de la Composicion del Cuerpo Humano

The 16th century was a time when the study of anatomy, long hindered by the Church’s ban on “violating” the flesh of the human body, progressed by leaps and bounds. The leading Spanish anatomist of the period was Juan Valverde de Amusco (b. ca. 1525), a native of Amusco who emigrated to Italy ca. 1542, studying medicine in Padua and Rome. He settled in Rome as a doctor and professor of anatomy. He is best known for his anatomical work, titled in English History of the Composition of the Human Body, which was published in 1556 by the Roman printing house of Antonio Salamanca (1479–1562) in collaboration with Antonio Lafreri (ca. 1512–1577), a Frenchmen. The work features 42 masterful copperplates and eventually appeared in four languages and sixteen editions, attesting to the fact that Valverde’s work did more than any other to spread and improve upon the famous treatise by Vesalius.

Masterful Copperplates of the Human Body

Valverde’s work is distinguished by its 42 detailed copperplates of the human body, four of which are attributed to Gaspar Becerra (1520–1570), a student of Michelangelo (1475–1564), while the rest are improved copies of woodcuts found in the De humani corporis fabrica, a fundamental work of anatomy by Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564) which was published in 1543. Although Vesalius accused Valverde of plagiarism, claiming he had only performed a few dissections, Valverde corrected errors in the images, e.g. the muscles of the eyes, nose, and larynx. The most iconic of these graphic masterpieces is the “Muscular Man”, who is depicted holding his own skin in one hand and a knife in the other, and is comparable to Michelangelo’s depiction of St. Batholomew in the Sistine Chapel’s The Last Judgement. It is believed that Becerra’s illustrations were then engraved by Nicolás Beatrizet (ca. 1507 – ca. 1570), another Frenchmen. Thus, this work from Rome brought together some of the greatest artists and craftsmen of 16th century Spain and France.

Codicology

Alternative Titles: Geschichte über die menschliche Körperzusammensetzung
Type: Print on paper
Size / Format: 362 pages / 29.0 × 20.0 cm
Origin: Italy
Date: 1556
Epochs: Late Middle Ages Onwards
Style: Renaissance
Genre: Medicine
Language: Spanish
Illustrations: 42 engravings of the human body
Content: Treatise on the anatomy of the human body, based on the work of Andreas Vesalius
Artist / School: Juan Valverde de Amusco (author)
Antonio Salamanca (printer)
Antonio Lafreri (printer)
Probably Gaspar Becerra (engravings)

Available facsimile editions:

Detail Picture

Historia de la Composicion del Cuerpo Humano

Dissection of a Brain

This illustration is part of a series depicting the complex anatomy of the human brain. Its characteristic convolutions and furrows are clearly highlighted in the copperplate engraving through skillful use of shading. The outer cerebral membrane (dura mater) appears to have been cut into four sections and peeled back. Finely branched blood vessels run through both the dura mater and the cerebrum.

Single Page

Historia de la Composicion del Cuerpo Humano

Vascular System of a Male Body

The fifth plate of the sixth book shows a frontal, full-body view of the vascular network of a human male body, omitting a “double” depiction of the arms, hands, legs, and feet. Although the view allows only for the depiction of the most important or largest blood vessels, the level of detail—particularly in the head, neck, and extremities—is impressive. Nine additional figures also show the vascular systems of individual organs and body parts in detail.

The vascular illustrations in the sixth book, in particular, rank among Valverde’s greatest achievements. Here, the anatomist incorporated a great many of his own research findings and was able to significantly improve upon and further develop Vesalius’s work.