LEONARDO DA VINCI (VINCI 1452-AMBOISE 1519)
The cardiovascular system and principal organs of a woman
c.1509-10RCIN 912281
This magnificent drawing combines a range of material – Leonardo’s findings from his dissection of an old man in Santa Maria Nuova; ancient beliefs such as a seven-chambered uterus; and observations from animal dissections, such as the large uterine ligaments, extending to the flanks. Leonardo then pricked through the sheet to use it as a template for further drawings.