@article{ART003322343},
author={KUN HWANG},
title={Could Artistic Intuition Foreshadow Anatomical Science? Lacrimal Apparatus in the Hand of St. Lucia},
journal={Anatomy & Biological Anthropology},
issn={2671-5651},
year={2026},
volume={39},
number={1},
pages={77-80},
doi={10.11637/aba.2026.39.1.77}
TY - JOUR
AU - KUN HWANG
TI - Could Artistic Intuition Foreshadow Anatomical Science? Lacrimal Apparatus in the Hand of St. Lucia
JO - Anatomy & Biological Anthropology
PY - 2026
VL - 39
IS - 1
PB - 대한체질인류학회
SP - 77
EP - 80
SN - 2671-5651
AB - The Renaissance marked convergence between artistic naturalism and emerging anatomical science. This study explores whether artistic intuition could anticipate anatomical knowledge through an analysis of Francesco del Cossa’s Saint Lucy (c. 1473). Unlike conventional depictions of the saint holding her eyes on a dish, Cossa presents a flower-like stem bearing two anatomically detailed eyes. Notably, the stems attach at the medial canthi, corresponding to the superior and inferior lacrimal canaliculi-an arrangement preceding Giovanni Battista Carcano Leone’s description of the nasolacrimal duct in 1574. Historical sources indicate that the general anatomy of the lacrimal tract was known before 1473, beginning with Galen and continuing through medieval medical traditions. By situating Cossa’s painting within this context, the study suggests that careful artistic observation converged with anatomical reality. This illustrates how artistic representation may align with scientific understanding, offering insight for anatomists and oculoplastic surgeons into the value of attentive visual observation.
KW - Anatomy;Artistic;Lacrimal apparatus;Nasolacrimal duct;History;Early modern 1451~1600
DO - 10.11637/aba.2026.39.1.77
ER -
KUN HWANG. (2026). Could Artistic Intuition Foreshadow Anatomical Science? Lacrimal Apparatus in the Hand of St. Lucia. Anatomy & Biological Anthropology, 39(1), 77-80.
KUN HWANG. 2026, "Could Artistic Intuition Foreshadow Anatomical Science? Lacrimal Apparatus in the Hand of St. Lucia", Anatomy & Biological Anthropology, vol.39, no.1 pp.77-80. Available from: doi:10.11637/aba.2026.39.1.77
KUN HWANG "Could Artistic Intuition Foreshadow Anatomical Science? Lacrimal Apparatus in the Hand of St. Lucia" Anatomy & Biological Anthropology 39.1 pp.77-80 (2026) : 77.
KUN HWANG. Could Artistic Intuition Foreshadow Anatomical Science? Lacrimal Apparatus in the Hand of St. Lucia. 2026; 39(1), 77-80. Available from: doi:10.11637/aba.2026.39.1.77
KUN HWANG. "Could Artistic Intuition Foreshadow Anatomical Science? Lacrimal Apparatus in the Hand of St. Lucia" Anatomy & Biological Anthropology 39, no.1 (2026) : 77-80.doi: 10.11637/aba.2026.39.1.77
KUN HWANG. Could Artistic Intuition Foreshadow Anatomical Science? Lacrimal Apparatus in the Hand of St. Lucia. Anatomy & Biological Anthropology, 39(1), 77-80. doi: 10.11637/aba.2026.39.1.77
KUN HWANG. Could Artistic Intuition Foreshadow Anatomical Science? Lacrimal Apparatus in the Hand of St. Lucia. Anatomy & Biological Anthropology. 2026; 39(1) 77-80. doi: 10.11637/aba.2026.39.1.77
KUN HWANG. Could Artistic Intuition Foreshadow Anatomical Science? Lacrimal Apparatus in the Hand of St. Lucia. 2026; 39(1), 77-80. Available from: doi:10.11637/aba.2026.39.1.77
KUN HWANG. "Could Artistic Intuition Foreshadow Anatomical Science? Lacrimal Apparatus in the Hand of St. Lucia" Anatomy & Biological Anthropology 39, no.1 (2026) : 77-80.doi: 10.11637/aba.2026.39.1.77
