Leonardo da Vinci’s Manuscript of Anatomy

Leonardo da Vinci’s Manuscript of Anatomy

Human anatomy, Renaissance science, anatomical illustration

This manuscript contains Leonardo da Vinci’s detailed anatomical drawings and observational notes created through firsthand dissections. It showcases his empirical approach to understanding the human body, covering skeletal structure, muscles, organs, and vascular systems with extraordinary artistic and scientific precision. The manuscript was never published in his lifetime and is written in mirror script, making it difficult to access at the time. Now housed in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle, it remains one of the most significant but fragile contributions to the history of anatomical science.

Leonardo da Vinci

1472–1473

Royal Collection Trust. Images and content rights reserved.

Manuscript (Ink and metalpoint on handmade paper)

Italian

Still image, Text

Renaissance Italy, 15th century

Manuscript (Ink and metalpoint on handmade paper)

Varies; folios approx. 19 cm x 13 cm