This woodcut ranks among the finest achievements of 16th century engraving (Saunders and O’Malley 42). The lines are clear, the cross hatchings remarkable in their ability to demonstrate depth and perspective. On the whole, the title page of the Fabrica is as strikingly beautiful as it is chaotic.

Title page, De Humani Corporis Fabrica, 1543 (UBC Rare Books and Special Collections)

In the scene, young Vesalius conducts a public anatomy, surrounded not only by his students and fellow physicians but by members of nobility and the church (Saunders and O’Malley 42). Vesalius stands with calm authority at the centre, dissecting a human body. Interestingly enough, it is a female body that he dissects. This is noteworthy because the Fabrica is largely composed of male bodies, save for an erroneous depiction of the female reproductive system.

For the most part, Vesalius held masculinist assumptions about the human body. In other words, he assumed that a woman’s body would mimic that of a man’s. In Vesalius’ work, as a result, there was no recognition of fallopian tubes, ovaries were assumed to have a braided body like those of the male epididymis, and women were assumed to produce ‘seed’ at orgasm (Hobby 2017). These errors indicate both a cultural assumption of the male body being the norm, as well as the practical difficulty of acquiring female corpses for dissection (Hobby 2017). Such a shortage would surely have an impact on Vesalius’ work.

In any case, on the title page, Vesalius dissects a female corpse. Beneath him, quarrelling under the table are the relegated menials who formerly did dissections (Saunders and O’Malley 42). In the foreground, three robed men represent the golden age, now on the same level as those of the new age (Saunders and O’Malley 42). This, supposedly because Vesalius spoke of his hope for anatomy to one day be “cultivated in all of our academics as it was of old in Alexandria” (Saunders and O’Malley 42).

A skeleton presides over the event, a clear marker of death and that from which Vesalius derives his learning. Above that appears the lion head of the Venetian state and the ox of the Paduan school. Here we have the title, and above that still a shield carrying three weasels–an apparent play on the vernacular of Vesalius’ name: Wessels (Saunders and O’Malley 42).

Finally, on the upper left, right above the figure leaning out of the balcony window are the interlaced initials I and O, representing the monogram of publisher Johannes Oporinus (Saunders and O’Malley 42).

The only authentic portrait of Andreas Vesalius is this famous woodcut from the Fabrica, first introduced in 1543. The same wood block was used in the later edition of 1555, as well as in both Latin and German editions of his Epitome.

Portrait of Andreas Vesalius. De humani corporis fabrica, 1543 (UBC Rare Books and Special Collections)

On the front edge of the table is the following inscription: AN. AET. XXVIII. M.D.XLII. This apparently provides us with the date of the portrait as well as the age of Vesalius at the time of illustration (Saunders and O’Malley 41).

Just beneath those dates, still on the table, is the following message: OCYUS, IUNCUNDE ET TUTO, meaning “swiftly, pleasantly and safely.” This message is apparently derived from a proverb of the ancient physician Aesclepiades, quoting from a medieval version of the works of Aulus Cornelius Celsus (25 BC – 50 AD), which reads, “Aesclepiades says that it is the duty of the physician to cure his patient safely, swiftly and pleasantly” (Saunders and O’Malley 41).

The portrait has some wonky features. Firstly, the head of Vesalius is disproportionately large for his body. His disproportions become more obvious when we take into consideration the body he’s dissecting. It’s huge! Whether the disproportions were made purposefully (maybe he really looked like that?), or accidentally (probably more likely), it’s pretty fun to have an anatomically incorrect author on a revolutionary book about anatomy.

Disproportions notwithstanding, the portrait is universally admired for its beauty. It expresses a wise, energetic young man carrying himself with much self assurance. It’s impossible to deny the admirable skill behind the woodcut.

The artist is unknown. Most critics assert that it is the work of Flemish artist Jan Stefan van Kalkar, yet still others entertain the idea that it is self-portrait, seeing as the pose is characteristic of a drawing made from a mirror image (Saunders and O’Malley 41).

Featured at the beginning of the Fabrica is a letter written by Vesalius to his printer, Johannes Oporinus of Basel. The letter, written at the time Vesalius’ wood blocks were shipped to Basel for printing, gives us insight into many of Vesalius’ concerns during the making of the Fabrica.

In the letter, Vesalius expresses his confidence that Oporinus will produce the work desired. At the same time, he expresses his concern for the result, gives explicit instructions on which plates to use and where, and outlines his fear of piracy. He promises Oporinus a license for the work, but in the very next sentence supposes such a protection to be of little worth in preventing publishers from printing illegal copies. Mournfully, he recalls the many plagiarisms of his previous publication.

The letter is revealing in many ways. It might even help us understand why Vesalius chose to specifically publish with Oporinus. Some scholars suggest that it was Vesalius’ obsessive concern for piracy and Basel’s prime location within Italian, French and German markets that led him to Oporinus (Clark 301). Books produced in Basel could quickly reach critical areas of the northern European market, thereby ensuring a reasonable period of sale before pirate copies could hit the market (Clark 301).

Here is the letter, written in Latin, as depicted in the 1543 edition at UBC. An English translation is available on page 46 of The Illustrations from the Works of Andreas Vesalius of Brussels.

Letter to Johannes Oporinus, page 1. De Humani Corporis Fabrica, 1543 (UBC Rare Books and Special Collections)

Letter to Johannes Oporinus, page 2. De Humani Corporis Fabrica, 1543 (UBC Rare Books and Special Collections)