Woodcut and text of skeleton holding a skull from Andreas Vesalius's De humani corporis fabrica, 1543. Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) was a Belgian anatomist who founded modern anatomy. He revolutionized the study of anatomy, ending the teaching of Galen and practicing direct observation by dissection. His results were published in 1543 in the famous book De Humani Corporis Fabrica (On Structure of the Human Body). The first accurate work on human anatomy, it included many descriptions and fine woodcuts. After this early success, he became a court physician and all but gave up research.