The dissection scene in the Fasciculus medicinae is undoubtedly one of most famous aspects of the compilation. It is the first dissection represented in print, and one of the first scientific human dissections depicted in general in the West. As discussed in more detail in the Introduction, human dissection was not considered necessary until c. 1300, and even then, it was done as an accompaniment to the writings of the ancient medical authorities, many of whom had never undertaken human dissections themselves. The rise of humanism and the importance of medicine as a university discipline meant there was a gradual growth in the desire to open the body and actually see the interior for educational purposes, which slowly led to the correction of misinformation that had been accepted for hundreds of years.

The Fasciculus dissection scene thus demonstrates a crucial point in the exploration of the human interior. The physician, standing above the body, is probably reading from the established text of an authority, while down below a group of men—mostly academics—crowd around the body, waiting to see it opened. The body is likely that of an executed criminal who had no family to claim it. The person in the lectern has often been identified as Mondino de’Liuzzi, the author of the anatomical text that follows this scene. However, if that were the case, why has the artist not included his name, as had been done in the frontispiece with Petrus de Montagnana? His identity remains uncertain.

1495: The 1495 dissection scene is very similar to the original print, which first appeared in the 1493/4 Italian version. The unidentified central figure, whom we will simply refer to as the lecturer, stands in an ornate lectern, elegantly robed in an academic gown. A book lies open before him. He gestures as he looks straight ahead, mouth open, clearly in the midst of speaking. He is not looking down at the dissection, but rather, directly at the viewer. To his right, an open window reveals an unidentifiable cityscape.

Below the lectern is a crowded scene. The forefront is dominated by a large table, upon which a male corpse rests. At the far left, two men in robes and caps are in conversation, seemingly unconcerned with the beginning of the dissection; next to them, a man in the same dress bends towards the body, hand resting on the back of the dissector. The dissector is given a markedly different appearance to distinguish him from the academics in the room. He is likely a lesser- (or un-) educated barber-surgeon, denoted by his short garment, bare head, and close-toed shoes. He bends over the body, making an incision in the sternum with a large knife. Directly behind the dissector is an academic watching attentively, and to his left, another man bends towards the corpse’s head, gesturing to the body, perhaps giving orders to the surgeon. The final two figures are not watching the dissection at all; instead, they stare at the two men on the other side of the lectern. A small basket sits in the very foreground, where the organs will be dropped as they are removed.

1500: The 1500 and 1495 versions of this scene are nearly identical, but the addition of polychromy to the 1500 version calls a few more details to the viewer’s attention. There seems to be some confusion regarding the hands of the two figures at the head of the corpse; the upright academic is holding a green ribbon to his chest, but the artist has colored his sleeve green, so it looks as though it belongs to the man bending over and gesturing to the corpse. The basket has also been removed from the foreground.

1509: The 1509 image is positioned directly above the incipit (introduction) to Mondino’s Anatomy text. As is the case with each print in the 1509 version, it is the mirror image of its counterparts, and includes more details and spatial awareness. The artist has kept the lecturer perched on high in his elevated lectern, but he is not gesturing as animatedly, and his mouth is not open. Instead, he holds a quill in his right hand, as though he is writing, perhaps tying his identity even more closely to that of Mondino.

Several smaller details are worth noting. The artist has decided to forego the city view out the window; both casements are firmly shuttered. The basket in the foreground has returned. The same cast of eight figures surround the dissection, but the artist has made the scene a bit more dynamic and realistic. The figure bending over the corpse’s head now holds a pointer, clearly directing the dissector as he makes his cut. The man behind him seems to be offering his opinion. The figure at the center lays a supportive hand on the dissector’s back, and in the other, holds what appears to be a surgical implement to help in the dissection. While the two men to the right of the scene are still not paying attention, the two men on the left have now been turned so that they seem more engaged in what is unfolding on the table.

1513: The 1513 version is essentially identical to the 1500 version, minus the colors.

1522: The same is true of the 1522 version, which is basically identical to the 1513 and 1500 versions. A later user has written a note in the blank space at the top of the image.