Why Did Renaissance Artists Study Anatomy? (Top 5 Reasons!)

The Renaissance was a time of renewal, exploration, and a rebirth of the arts. Artists had the freedom to pursue ideas and knowledge like never before. With Humanism as its driving philosophy, the Renaissance also saw the rediscovery of art from classical antiquity.

But why did renaissance artists study anatomy? What did they expect to learn from studying the human body?

There are many reasons why and in this article we’ll review the top 5!

Keep reading!

Why Did Renaissance Artists Study Anatomy?

The Renaissance was a time of transformation and it had a profound impact on art. In fact, art is probably the most visible aspect of the Renaissance.

When most people think of the Renaissance they think of some of the greatest works of art like The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci or the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo. When they think of sculpture they think of David or the Pietà by Michelangelo.

But why did Renaissance artists study anatomy? What were they looking to learn from studying the human body?

Here are the top 5 reasons why Renaissance artists studied anatomy:

1. To help accurately depict the human form in their art
2. To better understand the structure and proportions of the human body
3. To introduce Realism in their art through exact anatomical representations
4. To create a realistic sense of movement in their art
5. To better use Perspective as it relates to the human body

Let’s now look closely at each of these reasons why Renaissance artists studied anatomy.

#1. To help accurately depict the human form in their art

Accuracy was key for Renaissance artists and it was why they studied anatomy. They wanted to accurately represent the human figure in their art so that it looked lifelike. They also wanted to include details in their art like muscles, tendons, and facial expressions.

This was the primary reason for studying anatomy – so that they could accurately depict the human form and create realistic art that viewers could relate to.

#2. To better understand the structure and proportions of the human body

Prior to the Renaissance, the human form had been portrayed in art as an idealized version, often with unrealistic proportions. During the Middle Ages dissection of human cadavers was forbidden, so artists had to rely on drawings and sculptures from classical antiquity as a reference. Or they had to draw inferences (as with medicine) by studying bodies of animals.

Renaissance artists, however, wanted to move away from this idealized form of the body and create art that was more realistic. To achieve this, they needed to understand the structure and proportions of its anatomy. This is why, even though dissection was not legal, artists during the Renaissance found ways to cut open cadavers and study them.

Leonardo Da Vinci himself is said to have dissected several bodies to study them. Detailed drawings from his diaries prove how well he understood anatomy.

He was even able to illustrate the human circulatory system in great detail!

#3. To introduce Realism in their art through exact anatomical representations

The Renaissance introduced the world to many new art forms. Realism was one of them. In Realism, the artist tries to accurately depict what they are seeing in nature. In other words, the focus of Realism is on accuracy and detail rather than idealization.

Classic examples of Realism are sculptures by Michelangelo. Let’s focus on two of these that we have already mentioned above: “David” which stands in the Accademia in Florence and the “Pieta” which can be found in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

If you look closely at either of these sculptures, you will notice the perfection in the anatomy.

David is in a Contrapposto or counterpose. Such a pose uses the muscles in a way that they are both relaxed and yet ready to pounce at any second. Only with a detailed understanding of anatomy can any artist pull off such a realistic masterpiece.

Michelangelo’s Pieta is in the same class. The utterly realistic pose of the dead Christ held by Mary reflects a deep understanding of anatomy as well as the pathos of the situation.

#4. To create a realistic sense of movement in their art

We covered Realism in the previous point. This point is about depicting a sense of movement. When an artist can create a sense of movement and dynamism in their art, it adds so much more life to it.

Renaissance artists were able to do this by studying anatomy closely. Through their understanding of the human form and its musculature, they were able to accurately depict realistic poses that showed motion or suggested movement.

#5. To better use Perspective as it relates to the human body

Perspective refers to the way in which the size and position of objects are depicted in art. Renaissance artists like Leon Battista Alberti, Piero della Francesca, and Leonardo Da Vinci developed a system of linear perspective which helped them create more realistic art.

To use this system though, they had to understand anatomy first. Understanding anatomy was essential for them to accurately depict the human form in a three-dimensional space.

Conclusion

So, why did Renaissance artists study anatomy when it was still not legal to dissect cadavers?

They did so to create realistic art that viewers could relate to. Through their knowledge of anatomy, they were able to introduce realism and a sense of movement into their work, as well as better use of perspective when depicting the human body. Such an understanding of the human form was essential to create life-like art in the Renaissance.

The result is a plethora of masterpieces that still stand today as exemplars of this period!