We are delighted to host a discussion to launch Taylor McCall's The art of anatomy in medieval Europe (London: Reaktion Books, 2023). Taylor will join us for a conversation on her newly-published book with Jack Hartnell (University of East Anglia) and Elma Brenner (Wellcome Collection).
Abstract:
This book is the first modern history of medieval European anatomical images. Richly illustrated, it explores the many ways in which medieval surgeons, doctors, monks and artists understood and depicted human anatomy. Taylor McCall refutes the common misconception that Renaissance artists and anatomists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Andreas Vesalius were the ‘fathers’ of anatomy, and the first to perform scientific human dissection; on the contrary, she proves these Renaissance figures drew upon centuries of visual and written tradition in their works.
Biography:
Taylor McCall is the Managing Editor of Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies and has held positions at the British Library, University College London, and Christie’s. Since completing her PhD at the University of Cambridge in 2017, she has published several articles in the fields of medieval medicine and art, and her research has been supported by the International Center of Medieval Art and the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.