De humani corporis fabrica libri septem

The frontispiece of Andreas Vesalius's textbook published in 1543 directs the attention to the author, who is shown at a temporary anatomical theatre demonstrating anatomy on an opened female corpse. With the large audience in the background, the eye of the viewer is caught by Vesalius's eye and then led via his hand and the pointer to the skin of the corpse.

Frontispiece "De humani corporis fabrica libri septem", woodcut, artist: Workshop of Titian; source: Andreas Vesalius: De humani corporis fabrica libri septem, Basel 1543, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Signatur: 037/2 Med 193, out of copyright – non commercial re-use.