CALDANI Leopoldo Marco Antonio Icones anatomicae quotquot sunt celebriores ex optimis neotericorum operibus summa diligentia depromtae et collectae; Iconum anatomicarum explicatio.

Wellcome, II, p.287; Choulant-Frank, 327-329; Hirsch, I, p.643.

First edition of this colossal and magnificently illustrated work, a compilation of the best anatomic representations of past years, prepared by Leopoldo Caldani (1725-1813), successor to Morgani in the chair of anatomy at Padua and assisted by his nephew Floriano Caldani (1772-1836), also a professor at Padua.

The plates are well-known for their excellence: Choulant-Frank states "all the plates are beautifully finished in the size of the originals". (p. 328). This is a book of very great rarity on the market. "The anatomic plates begin with a histologic plate, from original preparations and after Albinus, Monro, Scarpa and Cruikshank. Then follow representations of the bones after Albinus, the female skeleton after Soemmerring, the teeth after John Hunter, the ligaments after Floriano Caldani's work, which will be mentioned later…" "The second volume contains representations of the muscles after Albinus, the diaphragm after Haller, the bursa mucosa from original preparations and after Loder, the skin from original preparations and after Ruysch, Ledermüller, Albinus, William Hunter, Haase, Ludwig, Loder, the eye after Zinn and Soemmerring, the ear from original preparations after Ruysch, Duverney, Cotugno, Albinus, Scarpa, the olfactory organ from original preparations, and after Ruysch, Haller, Mayer, Scarpa, the tongue from original preparations, and after Albinus, the viscera from original preparations, and after Siebold, Santorini, Loder, Ruysch, Cheselden, Haller, Leveling, Sandifort, Albinus, Lieberkühn, Hedwig, Bleuland, Walter, Schumlansky, the sexual organs and the fetus after John Hunter, Sandifort, Wrisberg, Loder, Ruysch, Santorini, Camper, Roderer, Albinus, Haller, Kölpin, Tolberg…" "The third volume comprises representations of the pregnant uterus and the embryos by William Hunter and Soemmerring; the heart from original preparations and after Ruysch, Haller, Wolf and Loder; arteries and veins after Haller, Scarpa, Walter; the portal vein from an original preparation; the thoracic duct after Albinus… "The fourth contains the lymphatics after Mascagni, the brain after Vicq d'Azyr, Gall, and Spurzheim, the nerves from original preparations and after Meckel, Hirsch, Asch, Lobstein, Bang, Scarpa, Walter, Fischer… "All the original preparations were prepared anatomically by the younger Caldani and drawn from nature by Cajetano Bosa" (Choulant-Frank, p. 328).

A fine copy, some occasional foxing.