The publication of Vesalius’s Seven books on the fabric of the human body and its companion Epitome is a key moment in the revival of anatomical study. Vesalius used the work to promote the value of dissection, a skill he learned as a student and practised as a lecturer in surgery at the University of Padua.
The care Vesalius invested in the production of his anatomical books was a key factor in establishing their authority. The images played a critical role, complementing in vivid detail the anatomical descriptions in the text.