The second and best edition of Vesalius’ magnum opus, 1555

Andreas Vesalius:

De humanis corporis fabrica libri septem.

Basel, Oporinus, 1555. Folio. (42,5 x 29 cms.) [12] + 824 + [48] pp. Woodcut title and approx. 170 fine illustrations, 19 full-page, including the famous anatomical manikins. With portrait of Vesalius on page [12]. Pp. 505 and 553/4 are folding plates, p. [506] an unnumbered sheet with illustrations. Printer’s device on final page.

Strictly contemporary full blindstamped pigskin with ownership initials GBMA dated 1568 on front cover. A little worn and soiled, slight wear to extremities. Lower outer corner of title neatly restored, some slight dampstaining in lower margin, occasional slight fingersoiling. Marginal ink stain on p. 755 and dampstain in lower outer corner. The two folding plates backed on lowermost versos, first plate with a tear along fold between two lines of text, the second with three tears, one longer and affecting image, one diagonally through some of the text. Neat 19th century annotations on rear endpaper. In a recent slipcase.

Second (and best) folio edition of this extremely important book by ”the father of modern anatomy”. With the final revisions by the author, and printed on better paper with slightly larger text than the first edition, which appeared in 1543. The same woodblocks were used for almost all the illustrations of both editions.

Provenance: dr. Walter Parviainen (1922-1999), Switzerland, thence by descent to relatives in Sweden.

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