Leonardo da Vinci on the Human Body

231 the physics and physiology of the overall process-kinetics, side reactions, and the maximum quantum yield. The three final papers describe refinements in mamometric techniques which are useful in measuring photosynthetic activity, and some of its applications. The authors of this book have appraised once for all the contributions of Leonardo da Vinci to the known facts of human anatomy, revealing his most remarkable coupling of insight and imagination in the pursuit of his scientific investigations. That he was often mistaken is made quite clear. That he approached this particular part of the vast physical world, which came under his scrutiny, with the eye and mind of the artist rather than the scientist is made equally clear to us by the authors, whose dedication to their immense undertaking is Leonardian indeed. For they have given us a volume in which science and art go hand in hand. Where the celebrated Vinciano's science wanders from the truth and greatness, his epic draftsmanship restores him to a post of even greater magnitude in art itself. Witness the most remarkable anatomical drawing of all time on page 202 of the book, printed again on the back cover of the dust jacket. For sheer beauty of line and form, for the feel of the very cosmos, this drawing, for all its mistakes, takes its place as one of the noblest works of the human hand. The book is convincing beyond all doubt in its careful and complete analysis of each of the hundreds of drawings and the accompanying notes, in Leonardo's upside down handwriting. These have been translated and printed in italics facing the pages reproducing the drawings with which they appear. The authors' running comment interspersed with the translations indicates precisely wherein Leonardo was relying upon the findings of Galen, Aristotle, Mundinus, and others, where he used the viscera of animals in drawing the human body; in short, why and where he erred. The introduction, which contains a history of anatomical illustration up to about 1475 when the investigations in this book were taking form, an account of his life, an assessment of his anatomical achievements, his plans for the treatise, and the history of the manuscripts, serves as a most satisfactory background for the perusal and study of the over two hundred pages of facsimiles from the originals of the Vincian genius. Were Leonardo himself to see this volume he would be …