Anatomica: The Exquisite and Unsettling Art of Human Anatomy

There’s a fine line between the horrible and the sublime, and Joanna Ebenstein’s Anatomica: The Exquisite and Unsettling Art of Human Anatomy walks it. New York Times Book Review

For centuries, humankind has sought to know itself through an understanding of the body, in sickness and in health, inside and out. This fascination left in its wake a rich body of artworks that demonstrate not only the facts of the human body, but also the ways in which our ideas about the body and its proper representation have changed over time. At times both beautiful and unsettling, illustrated anatomy continues to hold our interest today, and is frequently referenced in popular culture. Anatomica brings together some of the most striking, fascinating and bizarre artworks from the the 14th through 20th century, exploring human anatomy in one beautiful volume, with over 250 images.here’s a fine line between the horrible and the sublime, and Joanna Ebenstein’s Anatomica: The Exquisite and Unsettling Art of Human Anatomy walks it. New York Times Book Review

For centuries, humankind has sought to know itself through an understanding of the body, in sickness and in health, inside and out. This fascination left in its wake a rich body of artworks that demonstrate not only the facts of the human body, but also the ways in which our ideas about the body and its proper representation have changed over time. At times both beautiful and unsettling, illustrated anatomy continues to hold our interest today, and is frequently referenced in popular culture. Anatomica brings together some of the most striking, fascinating and bizarre artworks from the the 14th through 20th century, exploring human anatomy in one beautiful volume, with over 250 images.