Engraving of a standing human skeleton leaning its arm on a long spade, with its other arm hanging down, on a pale background.

Skeleton leaning on a spade, engraving after Vesalius

A full-length human skeleton stands frontally, its arm resting on a long spade whose blade touches the ground, while the other arm hangs loose. Fine crosshatched line engraving on pale paper shows the bones in detail against a plain grey ground, with a small plate number at upper right.

Artist: Andreas Vesalius
Date: 1842
Medium: Engravings
Source: Wellcome Collection
Size: 2452 × 4000 px

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Public domain · Wellcome Collection marks it Public Domain Mark; made by 1842.
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: Public Domain Mark (Wellcome Collection)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Wellcome Collection

engraving medical illustration line engraving skeleton anatomy anatomical plate bones human skeleton spade 1840s print vesalius black and white