Nona musculorum tabula
€150
- Cartographer
- Thomas Geminus (attributed), after Andreas Vesalius
- Date
- ca. 1550 (attributed)
- Subject
- Human anatomy
- Folio / plate
- IX
- Dimensions
- 36 × 22 cm sheet
- Condition
- Good condition. Lower white margin enlarged.
About this piece
Nona musculorum tabula is the ninth muscle figure in a series after Andreas Vesalius’s De humani corporis fabrica of 1543. The copper engraving is attributed to Thomas Geminus and catalogued circa 1550. Geminus’s adaptation of Vesalius, first published in London in 1545, recast the original woodcut designs as copper engravings.
The standing figure is seen from behind, so the back and shoulders become the focus. Small letters direct attention to the muscle groups of the shoulder, arm and leg. The image is striking at a distance for the stance of the figure, but it was designed to be read closely, using the letters to move between the printed picture and the accompanying anatomy.
The original image is on a sheet measuring 36 × 22 cm. The lower margin has been extended.
Condition: Good condition. Lower white margin enlarged.