Taylor McCall, "The Art of Anatomy in Medieval Europe" (Reaktion Books, 2023)

Taylor McCall, "The Art of Anatomy in Medieval Europe" (Reaktion Books, 2023)

Author: New Books Network November 28, 2025 Duration: 36:55
Taylor McCall's The Art of Anatomy in Medieval Europe (Reaktion, 2023) is the first history of medieval European anatomical images. Richly illustrated, The Art of Anatomy in Medieval Europe explores the many ways in which medieval surgeons, doctors, monks, and artists understood and depicted human anatomy. Taylor McCall refutes the common misconception that Renaissance artists and anatomists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Andreas Vesalius were the fathers of anatomy who performed the first human dissections. On the contrary, she argues that these Renaissance figures drew upon centuries of visual and written tradition in their works. Jana Byars is the Academic Director of Netherlands: International Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dive into the distant past with New Books in Medieval History, where the latest academic research comes to life through conversation. This podcast, part of the wider New Books Network, functions as an ongoing public lecture series, bringing the authors of groundbreaking monographs directly to your ears. Each episode features an in-depth dialogue between the scholar behind a new book and an informed interviewer, peeling back the layers on topics ranging from daily life and religious practice to warfare, politics, and art across the medieval world. You’ll hear about the process of historical discovery, the debates shaping the field, and the fascinating stories that often lie outside textbook summaries. It’s a chance to sit in on the kind of thoughtful discussion that usually happens in university corridors or after conference panels. By focusing entirely on recently published work, this channel offers a dynamic window into how our understanding of the centuries between antiquity and the Renaissance is continually being refined and challenged. For anyone with a curiosity about the foundations of the modern world, this podcast provides a direct line to the experts who are writing its deepest history. Tune in to explore the complex tapestry of the Middle Ages, one new book at a time.
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