Andreas Vesalius And The Renaissance

Gabriel Fallopius was one of the most noteworthy and respected Italian anatomists of the sixteenth century. He was known as many things during his life time. Although, to this day, he is well known for many of the great discoveries he encountered. During his lifetime of the 16th century, many people didn’t know much about the inside of today’s reproductive system, how they looked like, or what they were. Gabriel Fallopius inspired so many of his students to continue researching in the medical field who later became famous medical professionals. Due to his very successful accomplishments, we are able to learn and observe more of the women’s body to this day.

This new age of anatomical research led to advancements in the knowledge of the human body. Andreas Vesalius fueled the fire with his discoveries and changed the way people viewed anatomy. Some of his contradictory discoveries included:

It wasn't until the 16th century that an accurate textbook of human anatomy was published. just search textbook on the fabric of the human body was written by none other than Andreas Vesalius, often referred to as the founder of modern human anatomy. Yet Vesalius accomplished much more than a mayor textbook. He revolutionize the practice of medicine by introducing human dissection's into medical curriculum. Vesalius also expanded anatomical research as his major discoveries laid the foundation for a better understanding of the human body and health. Well his discoveries had many positive impacts, this was not actually the case with the critics and reactions of his time.

The Italian Renaissance was one of the most colorful, vital, and exciting times in history. Renaissance eventually comes from the French word "Renaistre," meaning "to be born again." The Renaissance was a revival or a rebirth of cultural awareness and learning among art, law, language, literature, philosophy, science, and mathematics. This period took place between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Renaissance in Italy flourished in the 15th century and spread throughout most of Europe in the 16th century.

Nyctophobia; the fear of the dark. However, it’s not exactly the fear of darkness itself, but rather, what could be lurking within it. Now, the Dark Ages weren’t actually “dark”, but it was a time of rapid decline in Europe in which historians don’t have much information. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was thrown into a never ending battle of hardships. From the Black Plague to the loss of beloved heroes and heroines, the country really was left in the dark, until a flicker of hope emerged offering a new beginning: the Renaissance. The Renaissance lasted from the 14th to the 17th century and was an era of “rebirth” in European history. During this period, culture throughout Europe underwent a dramatic reformation where classic

William Harvey published the book called “An Anatomical Account of the Motion of the Heart and Blood in Animals” which was officially published a fair time after the other two’s books. He proved that the heart acts as a pump by recirculating the blood, and showed that the blood flows around the body and is carried away by the arteries and is carried back into the heart by the veins. This had a limited impact because likewise to Vesalius, it did not make anyone healthier at the time, and it made more of a long term impact on medicine. He had not found a way to practically cure people because he had just made a book to further people’s knowledge on how the body works. Although his book is very useful for us nowadays, at the time people would not know how to approach it, and really wouldn’t make much of an impact on the people’s health.

The Renaissance period is known for the revival of the classical art and intellect born in ancient Greece and Rome. The Renaissance is also a time that is marked by growth, exploration, and rebirth. The Italian Renaissance started in Florence and progressively made its way into Venice and then into the great city of Rome. During the Renaissance, Rome was home to some of the most renowned works of art and the finest architectural masterpieces in the world - too many that still holds true today. Along with the delicate architecture and grand artistry, Rome was also home to a mixture of people and cultures. It is in this cultural context and through the book A Street Life in Renaissance Rome: A Brief History with Documents, that understanding how men, woman, and specifically Jews and Christians lived in Rome becomes important to better understand this period of renewal.

This book encouraged further study of human anatomy by various physicians throughout the Scientific Revolution. Ambrose Paré was an influential French physician in the early 1540s. He studied ways to prevent infections more effectively. Also, Paré created new techniques for surgery, began the use of artificial limbs, and invented several medical tools. In the early 1600s the circulatory system was studied for the first time by William Harvey, an English scholar.

Dissection of human bodies became popular during the Renaissance time as people started to redraw and disprove previous beliefs about human anatomy. Interest in anatomy grew for artistic and medicinal purposes. Artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo began “integrating their knowledge of surface and deeper anatomy into their paintings” (Wear). However, the majority of anatomical knowledge at this time was based on Greek and Medieval Italian dissection of animals (Ghosh). Comparing animal bodies to the human body provided its’ inconsistencies, and anatomists like Andreas Vesalius pointed them out and disproved what was considered factual. His studies inspired scientists years to come to venture into anatomy and dissection as well.

“I strive that in public dissection the students do as much as possible so that even the least trained of them must dissect a cadaver before a group of spectators, he will be able to perform it accurately with his own hands; and by comparing their studies one with another they will properly understand, this part of medicine.” - Andreas Vesalius, In these next paragraphs I will prove to you how smart and intelligent of a man Andreas Vesalius was. Andreas Vesalius was born December 31, 1514 in Brussels, Habsburg, Netherlands. His parents are Isabel Crabbe and Andries Van Wesel. As a kid Andreas loved the dismemberment of animals.

One of these was Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus which translates to On the Motion of the Heart and Blood in Animals. He first published it in Frankfurt, 1628 while he was a lecturer at the Royal College of Physicians. It is believed that there was no original copy of the book as it was produced through mass production and so many copies exist in museums today. However, a copy of the original title page of the book is held in the Science Museum, London. William Harvey's book on wasn't specifically created for someone. Instead, curiosity about the body resulted in him recording his findings in a logical form. However, a Greek physician by the name of Galen influenced many Renaissance physicians at the time, which made the possible success of his theory difficult, as patients deserted his practice and the medical community questioned his success. William Harvey shows a view of The Motion of the Heart and Blood in animals that reflects knowledge he had gained and the support of Kings Charles and James 1 through publicity and valued opinions. Harvey's intention was to inform the readers and fellow physicians that the blood flowed around the body, which is what he

The Renaissance began in Florence, Italy around the 1500’s to about the 1700’s. Florence, Italy was the mecca of this rebirth because at the time Florence was extremely wealthy and the people of the city had political freedom and those new ideals of the Renaissance were not being condemned in Florence as they were other cities. This was a time where the arts and the logic of one’s own mind was valued rather than criticized, the antiquated medieval ideals no longer matched the needs of those who were living during the early Renaissance. Eventually, a term for this way of thinking arose and was called Humanism, and what humanism is, is an ideology where humans can lead themselves to create a prosperous life and instead of leaning on supernatural forces for answers. Humanists believe that humans have enough logic to create conclusions themselves. This brand-new way of thinking caused a lot of controversy because it did question God’s ability and the church’s power, but the ideas behind it are still heavily used today, even in the 21st century. Humanism in the early Renaissance is important because it called for thinking with reason, it allowed an appreciation for human body and mind, inspired authors and caused a shift in power.

We see these naturalistic forms further examined in Antonio de Pollaiuolo’s The Battle of Naked Men and Andreas Vesalius’ On the Fabric of the Human Body. Both these images celebrate human’s intellectual and physical capabilities by exploring the motion of muscles and how they react under stress. Under the study of antique anatomy, Pollaiuolo's engraving of 10 naked men shows how muscles behaves under vigorous activity. Although the dynamic and expressive portrayal of the human figure is clearly inspired by classical antiquity, the deep shadows and exaggeration of the muscles shows a new conception of the human body. The exaggeration of the men’s muscles, however has been highly criticized. Yet even with this the print still shows a mastery

“The rebirth.” “The early modern period.” The Renaissance is alluded to by many names, referring to the great artistic renewal period beginning in the 14th century and ending in the 17th century. Occurring after the Medieval Period, it is often considered to be the bridge to modern day history as we know it. It was period of change, revival, and great augmentation for society. With the Middle Ages coming to an end and with the intellectual decline that had followed, scholars and thinkers alike began to study the ideals of ancient philosophers of the classical world, most prominently the Greeks and Romans, a time of great innovation and high human achievement, the likes of Humanism that hadn’t been seen for centuries.

William Harvey was a distinguished physician of the seventeenth century. Harvey was educated by some of the great scientists of his time and was highly knowledgeable of the scientist theories preceding his time. Harvey was greatly intrigued by the views of the ancient Aristotle and developed a number of his own ideas based on Aristotle’s theories. It was from Aristotle’s theory of the primacy of blood that allowed Harvey to make breakthroughs about circulation and generation of animals. His advancements greatly enhanced the study of anatomy. Harvey also revolutionized the means by which science was performed through the use of innovative, investigational techniques. William Harvey became a