Leonardo da Vinci and the mysteries of the eye: How a Renaissance genius contributed to the development of ophthalmology

At a time when science and art were often separated by a thick line, Leonardo da Vinci was an exception - an artist who saw no boundaries between the artistic and the scientific. His wide-ranging interests included anatomy, mechanics, painting, optics, and the... the human eye.

Although da Vinci was not an ophthalmologist in the modern sense of the word, his research and anatomical sketches were ahead of the era and pioneered the directions that modern ophthalmology later developed.

The eye under the microscope - before there was a microscope

Leonardo was dissecting human bodies - including the head and the organ of sight - as early as the turn of the 16th century, which was both daring and controversial at the time. His sketches of the eye are among the most accurate early anatomical representations of this organ.

His interests included:

• The structure of the retina - he noted that light must pass through the transparent layers of the retina before it reaches the light-sensitive cells. Today we know that he was right.

• The phenomenon of eye accommodation - he tried to understand how the lens of the eye changes shape to sharpen images.

• Optical illusions - he analyzed how the brain interprets visual stimuli, which today is the foundation of neuro-ophthalmology and perception research.

A visionary, not just an artist

da Vinci's notes include thoughts on the duality of vision (binocularity) and theories on how the eyes work together to create a three-dimensional image of reality. His descriptions of the phenomena of refraction and the construction of the eye later inspired generations of researchers.

Although his work did not have a direct impact on modern medicine (many of his discoveries were not published in his lifetime), it is an invaluable testimony to how an interdisciplinary approach can lead to real breakthroughs.

What can we learn from his approach today?

In an age of specialization, it's easy to forget that the greatest innovations are often born at the intersection of different disciplines. Leonardo da Vinci reminds us that it's worth looking more broadly - that the insight of an artist can inspire a scientist, and the curiosity of an engineer can lead to discoveries in medicine.

Today, ophthalmology uses technologies Leonardo could never have dreamed of - from lasers to artificial intelligence. But the spirit of his thinking - accuracy, observation and a desire to understand - is still alive.