Leonardo da Vinci dissected corpses to gain a deeper understanding of the human body for both his art and scientific pursuits. He believed that understanding the human body's structure and function would help him create more realistic and accurate art. Da Vinci was also fascinated by the human body as a creation of nature and sought to comprehend its physical workings. Though he lacked formal medical training, da Vinci is believed to have dissected more than 30 bodies in his lifetime. Initially, he dissected animals and later compared their anatomy to that of humans. In the 1500s, as his reputation grew, he was allowed to dissect corpses in medical universities and hospitals. Before this, he had to rely on grave robbers to acquire corpses, as human corpse dissection was legalized only for medical universities and doctors who performed post-mortems. Da Vinci's anatomical drawings were incredibly accurate and detailed, reflecting his meticulous dissections and his skills as a draftsman. His studies of the human body were groundbreaking at the time and contributed significantly to the understanding of human anatomy.