Layers of paper peeled back to expose the body—from the skin to the muscles, blood vessels, nerves, internal organs, and finally the bones.
These interactive books gave a sense of the body’s structure in three dimensions. As readers lifted the flaps one by one, it was like carrying out a dissection with paper.
The Catoptrum microcosmicum (or “Microcosmic Mirror”) by the German physician Johannes Remmelin, with engravings by Lucas Kilian, surpassed all other flap books in its sheer number and complexity of flaps when it first appeared in 1613. This video is of the authorized second edition of 1619.
The book not only illustrated the physical body but was also intended to serve as a guide to the soul—written on the skull at the bottom of the title page are the words “Know thyself” in Latin. Other inscriptions on the page remind readers of the inevitability of death.
Remmelin’s immensely popular work was later translated from Latin into German, Dutch, English, and French. Over time, his book appeared in many later editions, its mixture of science and morality finding a receptive audience for years to come.
The book is on view February 22–July 10, 2022, as part of the exhibition Flesh and Bones: The Art of Anatomy.
