"Genius lives on, all else is mortal" skeleton from 'De humani corporis fabrica libri septem'
Jan van Calcar1543
University of Sydney Library
Camperdown, Australia
This is one of the iconic skeletons in book 1 of the first edition of Vesalius’ De Humani Corporis Fabrica. The plinth that the skeleton is leaning on reads "Vivitur ingenio, caetera mortis erunt", which translates to English as "Genius lives on, all else is mortal".
The paints used by the first owner, German physician Caspar Neefe to colour the illustrations would have been made from the pigments available at the time, such as lapis-lazuli, azurite, malachite, calcite, and umber.
The Fabrica is considered one of the most important medical books ever published, and changed the way that anatomy was understood and taught.
- Title: "Genius lives on, all else is mortal" skeleton from 'De humani corporis fabrica libri septem'
- Creator: Andreas Vesalius, Jan Stephan van Calcar, Joannes Oporinus, Caspar Neefe
- Date Created: 1543
- Location Created: Basel, Switzerland
- Original Language: Latin
- Provenance: Fisher Library Rare Books and Special Collections copy acquired in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the opening of Fisher Library, through the generous support of the Margaret Lundie Fund and the B & A Osborn Book Fund in 2023ac, First owner was German physician Caspar Neefe (1514-79), who later served as personal physician to Duke Albert I of Saxony, and with his handwritten annotations throughout. Previously in a Tyrolean private medical collection
- Subject Keywords: Science, Anatomy
- Type: Printed book
- Original Source: University of Sydney Library, RB Folio 8243.1
- External Link: View this page in the digitised version, View the full digitised item
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