title: The Illustrations from the Works of Andreas Vesalius of Brussels (Dover Fine Art, History of Art)
author: J. B. deC. M. Saunders
description: <div><div>The works of Andreas Vesalius (1514&#8211;1564) have long been regarded among the great treasures of the Renaissance. Published as medical books while he was teaching anatomy and dissection at the University of Padua, they include the <I>Tabulae Sex </I>(1538), intended as an aid to students; the magnificently illustrated <I>De Humani Corporis Fabrica</I> (1543), and the companion volume, the <I>Epitome </I>(1543). Individually, these books are milestones in the history of medicine. They also offer one of the most magnificent collections of anatomical drawings ever published. The plates were executed with such vitality and originality that they have been attributed to the most talented illustrators of the sixteenth century, not to mention Vesalius himself. Many of the drawings, in fact, were products of Titian's famous atelier.<br>For this&#160;edition of the Vesalius illustrations, Dover has combined the best existing plates and text. The illustrations have been reproduced from the sumptuous (1934) Munich edition of Vesalius titled <I>Icones Anatomicae</I>. The Munich plates were struck for the most part from the original wood blocks then in the collection of the Library of the University of Munich. These priceless art objects were destroyed in the bombing of Munich during World War II. Aside from the&#160;original copies of the woodcuts (of which only a few complete sets are known), the Munich restrikes are the best representations of the Vesalian anatomical drawings, for they preserve much of the freshness and richness of the 1543 edition.<br>The text of this Dover edition has been faithfully reproduced from an edition of Vesalius published by World Publishing Company in 1950. The&#160;editors, distinguished authorities on sixteenth-century medicine, have provided a very comprehensive history of Vesalius, his career, and excellent explanations of the legends surrounding the illustrators, artists, and publishers involved with the production of his books. No other source will provide the general reader, bibliophile, art historian, artist, or historian of science and&#160;medicine with such complete data on Vesalius and his fabulous anatomical illustrations.<br>Unabridged republication of the (1950) English edition published by the World Publishing Company. 93 plates reproduced from the (1934) Munich edition titled <I>Icones Anatomicae,</I> published jointly by the New York Academy of Medicine and the Library of the University of Munich. 3 additional plates of preliminary sketches for the original title page of the&#160;<I>De Humani Corporis Fabrica.</I> List of Plates.</div></div>
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  # A Journal From Our Legation in Belgium
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Hugh Gibson
  
  
  This page formatted 2007 Blackmask Online.
  
  
  http://www.blackmask.com
  
  * [INTRODUCTION](joleg_split_2.html#1_0_2)
  
  
  * [ A Journal From Our Legation In Belgium](joleg_split_3.html#1_0_3)
  
  
  
  
  
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  Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Jeroen van Luin and the
  
  
  Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
  
  
  
  
  
  [Transcriber's note: This document contains several illustrations of
  
  
  letters and posters. Where possible, the text on these illustrations
  
  
  has been included in the description of the illustration.]
  
  
  [Illustration: His Majesty, Albert, King of the Belgians _
  
  
  Photograph by Boute, Brussels_]
  
  
  
  
  
  A JOURNAL
  
  
  FROM OUR LEGATION
  
  
  IN BELGIUM
  
  
  BY
  
  
  HUGH GIBSON
  
  
  SECRETARY OF THE
  
  
  AMERICAN LEGATION IN BRUSSELS
  
  
  
  
  
  ILLUSTRATED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS
  
  
  
  
  
  NEW YORK
  
  
  GROSSET &DUNLAP
  
  
  PUBLISHERS
  
  
  
  
  
  _Copyright, 1917, by_
  
  
  DOUBLEDAY, PAGE &COMPANY
  
  
  
  
  