Science, Anatomy, and Art: Revisiting Leonardo da Vinci, Pioneer of Modern Anatomy

Leonardo da Vinci, the artist and scientist, was an archetype figure of the Renaissance era. He was an autodidactic polymath in natural sciences, engineering, and physical sciences, imbued with universality, prodigious inventive imagination, and curiosity to know and understand the world around him. Among his myriad activities, anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system and the underlying systems fully engaged him. Leonardo dissected dozens of human and animal corpses to study. His anatomical illustrations were precise, combining art and science with an impeccable integration of both. Multiple drawings, diagrams, sketches, and designs are found in his notes. Leonardo's style was intensely personal, unveiling his thoughts, passions, and emotions. We analyzed significant biographic aspects of Leonardo's life, remarking on his scientific and life conceptions and their manifestation in his anatomical designs. The contribution of preceding anatomists is reported as a source of his inspiration as well as motivation to successors. Leonardo da Vinci left no publications, but rather an extensive collection of personal notebooks. Leonardo's contribution to modern anatomy was enormous and he is considered by the scientific and medical community as the father of the modern anatomy.