Leonardo da Vinci

The Völklingen Ironworks flooded in red light
Copyright: Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte | Oliver Dietze

Leonardo da Vinci   presumed self portrait   WGA12798

Leonardo da Vinci presumed self portrait WGA12798
Copyright: Biblioteca Reale, Turin | Public Domain

Born in Vinci, Italy, in 1452
Died in Amboise, France, in 1519

Work

Anatomical study ‘The Great Lady’, circa 1509/10

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001b2cmdp1 I8N
Copyright: akg images

Four centuries before Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen made his physical breakthrough in 1895 with the discovery of the rays named after him, Leonardo da Vinci penetrated the surface of the human body with chalk, pen and ink. His anatomical studies combine art and science and are exemplary for the pictorial visualisation of the interior of the body before Röntgen.