I think that since the beginning of art as we know it, there has been a link between observational art and anatomy. Many of the early prehistoric drawings were based upon observations of animals and people. As civilization progressed, art evolved and changed as people became more aware of how both human and animal anatomy worked. Leonardo da Vinci is an artist whose observational drawings were greatly affected by human anatomy. Da Vinci was known primarily for his painting, but he was also an engineer, a scientist, and worked with various other mediums such as drawing.
He made many revolutionary advances in science and engineering, while creating some of the most well known paintings in history. Da Vinci was very interested in human anatomy, and the workings of the human body. He kept many journals and notes about his daily studies and findings. Many of these notes were for inventions or other designs. There were also many studies on people, faces, and emotions. He apprenticed under Andrea del Verrocchio, an artist who felt that learning anatomy was essential for all artists.
As he progressed as an artist, he gained permission to dissect human corpses at various hospitals. His interest in human anatomy continued and he did many studies of all aspects of the human body such as, muscle, bones, sinews, internal organs, and also the affects of age. He did not only dissect and study humans he also did extensive research on many types animals. A couple of his more famous studies were the study he did on a human fetus in the womb and another is the Vitruvian Man.
These studies he did as an apprentice and throughout his life affected his art greatly. His artwork reflects knowledge of the way the human body is made and how it moves. The figures in his drawings are very realistic and proportionate and also show a lot of emotion and movement. Leonardo was an accomplished artist, scientist, and engineer. He may be one of the most well known artists of all time. His study and knowledge of human and animal anatomy affected greatly the design, detail, proportion and flow of all of his work.
