Jacques-Fabien Gautier d'Agoty (1716–1785)
Wellcome Collection
Anatomical drawing is a combination of science and art. Through detailed observational studies of a body's bone structures, muscles, hair and skin, artists gain a deeper understanding of the human or animal bodies, and how they move, function and are held together. Artists can work from cadavers (dead bodies) – sometimes flayed, and sometimes dissected – or from anatomical models, busts and casts.