Stylistic Features
The Renaissance Tradition
Influenced by his Renaissance predecessors such as Andreas Vesalius, Cheselden employs several idealized images of the human body. For example, the bodies pictured above depict immaculate muscle definition as they represent Hercules and Antaeus. During the Renaissance, anatomical knowledge was still heavily influenced by ancient Greek physicians including Hippocrates and Galen. Thus, the perfect proportions and strength represented in this diagram are intended to show good health. (Kusakawa 2012, 214) Additionally, ties between medicine and religion persisted. Depictions of bodies in classical poses reference former beliefs about God's power over the well-being of man. (Pettegree 2010, 304)
Shifting Towards Naturalism
Cheselden also makes use of intensely naturalistic diagrams. Naturalistic rely on shading to show subject matter in a hyper-realistic form. (Kusakawa 2012, 4) This photo shows a detailed view of particular intestinal structures. They are beautifully rendered and mark an attempt to show a certain truth in human anatomy or a "visual argument." (Kusakawa 2012, 3) Naturalistic diagrams also often appeared in botanical studies. Criticism surrounding naturalism concerns the idea that these artistic representations are not always accurate. (Kusakawa 2012, 6) This is an important caveat of the book when used in an educational context.
Post-Scientific Revolution
The majority of Cheselden's diagrams reflect Renaissance imagery and techniques. However, by the 17th century the Scientific Revolution brought with it new developments in the natural sciences. The above photograph shows one of Cheselden's diagrams that relies more heavily on the use of geometric shapes and lines. It illustrates the optic nervous system. The context in which Cheselden first published his book was closer to the time of Descartes, who proclaimed the body was a "machine." (C. Jill O'Bryan 2005, 49) Thus, Cheselden uses a range of stylistic features in his diagrams and this one may signal a shift away from the Renaissance tradition. It appears more similar to the straightforward diagrams found in modern-day textbooks.