Abstract
The first academic commentary on Leonardo’s anatomical manuscripts was that of the eminent eighteenth century anatomist William Hunter. His comments on the newly discovered manuscripts are the first of the new world of science. The manuscripts and drawings were found in the possession of King George III, whose Royal Librarian, Richard Dalton, rediscovered them and showed them to Hunter. Hunter was deeply impressed. In his “Foundation Lectures on Anatomy”, Hunter wrote, “Leonardo must have been the foremost anatomist of that time.” He planned to publish the manuscripts with his own commentary, but he died in 1783 before he could undertake the task.
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- 1.
Extract from his lectures on anatomy by William Hunter, given in the Windmill Theatre in 1784. Records kept in the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow.
- 2.
Professor Martin Kemp, Personal communication. 2008.
- 3.
Charles D. O’Malley and J. B. de C.M. Saunders, Leonardo da Vinci on the human body. (New York: Henry Schuman, 1952; reprint, New York, Dover, 1983).
- 4.
Kenneth Clark, Leonardo da Vinci. Anatomical Drawings at Windsor Castle. 2nd edition. (Oxford: Phaidon, 1969), 40–1.
- 5.
Personal communication from Dr. Domenico Laurenza, whose work suggests a much earlier date than originally projected by Clark. Alcune Precisazioni sul Foglio anatomico di Leonardo RL 12597 recto. Raccolta Vinciana MMV. 2009.
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Wells, F.C. (2013). Leonardo Scholarship and the Cataloguing of the Anatomical Manuscripts. In: The Heart of Leonardo. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4531-8_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4531-8_6
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