Illustrated Anatomy @illustratedanatomy - Tumblr Blog

Vanessa Ruiz takes us on an illustrated journey of human anatomical art over the centuries, sharing captivating images that bring this visual science -- and the contemporary artists inspired by it -- to life. "Anatomical art has the power to reach far beyond the pages of a medical textbook," she says, "connecting our innermost selves with our bodies through art."

TEDTALK on anatomical art <3

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Morbid Anatomy: New Morbid Anatomy Book on the Uncanny Allure of the Anatomical Venus!

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Jacques-Fabian Gautier D'Agoty. Anatomical Figures. 1764.

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Two wooden anatomical figures 17th century A pair of models with removable chest and abdomen covers. Some religious restrictions on dissection were lifted in the 15th century, which led to the wider study of anatomy, using models like these as extra teaching aids. Both figures show the heart and lungs. One shows a pregnant female with a baby in the uterus, and the other the kidney and intestines in a male.

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Anatomical Models

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Wax Anatomical Figure of Reclining Woman; Florence, Italy, 1771-1800

Why is this anatomical woman special? Because she has a sexual allure that is not necessary for anatomical teaching purposes. Wax anatomical models of this period had different uses for different audiences. In the European anatomical tradition, the standard or normative body was always male. Female bodies were studied in terms of how they differed. In practice this meant a focus on their reproductive capacities – most often they were pregnant, with a foetus as one of the removable pieces.

But does this explain the model’s passive, sexual pose? Female wax anatomical models were often referred to as ‘Venuses’, after the goddess of love and beauty. Reclining on silk or velvet cushions, in positions copied from works of art, they often had flowing hair and jewellery, which added nothing to their anatomical use. They served to show not just physical differences but also gender differences, as perceived in European culture at that time.