A perfectionist in his artwork, Leonardo da Vinci studied nature and anatomy to produce amazingly realistic paintings. Using scientific methods in his investigations of the human body, the first ever by an artist, he was able to produce remarkably accurate depictions of the "ideal" figure. This exceptional collection reprints his sketches (still considered the finest ever made) of the skeleton; vertebral column; skull; upper and lower extremities; cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems and human embryos, among other subjects.