KU Leuven and the Flemish Community have jointly purchased Andreas Vesalius' masterpiece "De Humani Corporis Fabrica". The work formed the basis of the study of anatomy. It will soon be exhibited at Leuven university.
The first edition of "De Humani Corporis Fabrica", which was published in 1543, is already in the university’s possession. Twelve years later, in 1555, Vesalius brought out a second edition. It is this edition that KU Leuven and the Flemish Community have now acquired as part of their Topstukken policy, a policy to acquire top works. The work was purchased at the Christie's auction house for US$1.8 million, some €1.6 million.
The work, called "the Fabrica" for short, is widely regarded as one of the most influential medical books worldwide. In the Fabrica, Vesalius described human anatomy based on the dissections he performed. In the second edition, he also added personal notes. The book is lavishly illustrated by artists, who detailed the knowledge of human anatomy of their time.
600 years of Leuven University
The purchase is particularly timely for KU Leuven, in view of the celebrations around its 600th anniversary in 2025. The university is currently building an experience centre around Vesalius, which will focus on care, science and society. "The fact that we will now also be able to display 'De Humani Corporis Fabrica' to the general public fits in well with this," Leuven rector Luc Sels says. "It is one of the most influential books in history."
"Flanders has always been a global leader when it comes to healthcare and medical science. We partly owe this leading position to the efforts and achievements of top scientists like Vesalius," said Flemish culture minister Jan Jambon (Flemish nationalist/N-VA). "The Fabrica we are purchasing today reminds us of this glorious past. It is an inspiration for the many young students following in Vesalius' footsteps today."