Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The paper demonstrates how visual representation of the fetus in early anatomy texts influenced the reader's perception of the unborn child as an autonomous being. DATA SOURCES: The health, art, and history literatures were used as sources. Original texts and illustrations, with particular attention paid to the Casserius Tables, published by Andreas Spigelius in 1627, are discussed. STUDY SELECTION: A review of the literature was conducted to identify and analyze published renderings, reproductions, and discussion of images of the unborn child. Original anatomy atlases were consulted. MAIN RESULTS: Artists' renderings of a particularly vulnerable state of human life influenced early perceptions of the status of the unborn child. The images show fetuses as highly independent, providing a visual cue that life is fully formed in utero. CONCLUSION: The legacy of the Casserius Tables is that they are still able to capture our attention because they portray the idea of a fetus and newborn even more clearly than our modern representations of this charged topic. The use of deceptive realism provides the viewer with an accessible visual representation of the unborn child. These early anatomy illustrations continue to influence modern-day perception of the unborn child as a separate being, completely autonomous from the mother.