Andreas Vesalius, De humani corporis fabrica libri septem, Basel: ex. off. J. Oporini, 1543, PAGE, woodcut, leaf height 43 cm, N*.1.2(A).

This image represents blood vessels alone in the shape of a human body, rather than setting them in a human body as Ryff had done. Vesalius explicitly criticized Ryff’s image of veins as it showed as if the entire course of veins was on the surface of the body, which was misleading and absurd. In contrast, Vesalius points out that in his depictions shading was used to indicate the veins at the back or those hidden from view; thus veins throughout the entire body were shown. The three-dimensionality is further enhanced by the fact that the veins by themselves form a human figure, without any outlines, in a gesture recalling one of the muscle figures.