StevenSwenson

ART1020007Su16
BiographyofaClassicArtist
ProfessorMuir
AndreasVesalius
Thereisanartistwhoseworkisunderrepresentedincoffeebookformat.Ifyou
visittheLouvreortheSmithsonianyoullfindhisworkconspicuouslyabsent.Hisname
isnevermentionedinarthistoryclassesnorarehiscontributionscelebratedbywine
sippingesthetes.Yetinallofhumanhistorythereisnotanotherartistwhohashada
greaterandmoredirectimpactonourmodernlivesthanAndreasVesalius.

AndreasVesaliuswasbornin14thcenturyBrussels.Thiswasaneraofholy
empiresandRenaissancemasters.Lifeatthattimewasquitedifferentthaninour
modernera.ThePopehadthefinalwordonscientificaswellastheologicalmatters.
Yourlocalsurgeonwasalsoyourlocalbarberhewashappytoincludeafreehaircut
withyourpurchaseofabloodlettingorenema.Thetopphysiciansofthedaywerewell
studiedinmedicalpracticesthathadremainedunchangedfor1,400years.Inthis
climateAndreasVesaliuscreatedabodyofworkpowerfulenoughtochallengemore
thanamillenniaofentrencheddogma.Vesaliuswouldrelyonanalyticalscienceto
makehisdiscoveriesbutitwashisartthatultimatelysoldthesediscoveriestothe
scientificcommunityofhisday.
Vesaliusseminalvolume
DeHumaniCorporisFabrica
containedexquisite
engravingswhichdemonstratedhisfindingsinawaythatwasstartlinglyaccurateand
aestheticallybeautiful.Thisbookisoneoftheveryfewworkswhichrepresentsbotha
scientificandartisticmasterpiece.Vesaliuspresentedhisdiscoveriesintheformof
lifelikefiguresfullofemotionandmovementwhoweresurroundedbylandscapesand
monumentsofthetime.


Theastoundingdetailandlivelinessoftheanatomicaldrawingsinthe
De
HumaniCorporisFabrica
werepowerfulenoughtochangemindsthathadbelievedthe
heartwastheseatofconsciousnesswasmorethanathousandyears,butthepowerof
thesedrawingswasadoubleedgedsword.Vesaliusenemies(ofwhichtherewere
many)accusedhimofmurder.Theyallegedthatthevitalitydisplayedinhisdrawings
couldonlybeattainedthroughvivisection,thedissectionofastilllivingsubject.

Asridiculousasthismaysoundtousitwastakenveryseriouslyatthetime.
Vesaliuswaseventuallyconvictedofmurderandsentencedtodeath.Howeverhis
executionwascommutedtoalongpilgrimagewhichhewasnotexpectedtosurvive,
andunfortunatelyhedidnot.Vesaliusenemieswerepowerfulandtheyhoundedhimat
everyopportunity.Hisworkchallengedamedicalestablishmentthathadoutlasted
empiresandwassupportedbythechurch.Toquestionthemedicaldoctrineofthetime
wasnodifferentthanquestioningthereligiousauthorityofthechurch.Imaginetodayifa
youngphysicianproducedacompellingvolumeofworkwhichnotonlyrefutedthe
foundationaltheoriesofourmedicalexpertsbutalsomanagedtochallengetheir
religiousbeliefsaswell.

AndreasVesaliuswaspittedagainstthemostpowerfulinstitutionsofhisday.He
wasawareoftherisksthathisradicalideasmightposetohimbuthecarriedon.He
wasdeterminedtoshowtheworldsomething,toexpressanidea.Thesesame
motivatorsaresharedbyallartists,yetnotmanyofthemwouldbewillingtorisktheir
livestodoso.
Vesaliussinglehandedlymovedastagnatingworldofmedicalpracticeforward.
Hediscoveredthatbloodwasnotburnedbythebody,thatnervesinnervatedmuscles,
thatthebrainandnottheheartwasnervecenterofthebodyamongmanyother
extraordinarilyimportantdiscoveries.Whenyouvisityourphysiciantodayyounow
knowwhichartisttothankwhenyourdoctordemonstratesanunderstandingofthe
purposeandthedifferencebetweenthingslikearteriesandligaments.