Vol. 129 No. 2 (2025)
Original Article

Cardiac anatomy in the ‘Madonna of the Carnation’ attributed to Leonardo da Vinci

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  • Grigol Keshelava
Grigol Keshelava
Department of Vascular Surgery; Helsicore; Tevdore Mgvdeli st. 13; Tbilisi, Georgia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/ijae-16769

Published 2025-12-30

Keywords

  • dental implant,
  • Madonna of the Carnation,
  • cardiac anatomy,
  • aortic arch

How to Cite

Keshelava, G. (2025). Cardiac anatomy in the ‘Madonna of the Carnation’ attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology, 129(2), 55–59. https://doi.org/10.36253/ijae-16769

Copyright (c) 2025 Grigol Keshelava

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Around 1478-1480, the ‘Madonna of the Carnation’, also known as the ‘Madonna with Vase’, the ‘Madonna with Child’, or the ‘Virgin with Flower’, was produced. Using the program Paint X, we moved one detail (indicated by a bird-like shape drawn by Leonardo himself) ob Mary’s left breast and we obtained an image of an ox heart with its aortic arch. The image of the heart obtained by us is identical to the ox’s heart described by Leonardo in his anatomical drawing. Comparison reveals a striking resemblence to the heart configuration and arrangement of the branches of an aortic arch. Based on the fact that the heart is symbol of love, in this artwork Leonardo symbolically depicted a mother’s love for her son and at the same time he described the anatomy of the heart.

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