Body construction and representation: anatomical waxes in the "Museo La Specola"

Abstract

The "Museo La Specola" in Florence houses a large collection of anatomical waxes, an art developed in that city under the patronage of the Medici family in the 17th century for the purpose of teaching medicine. This article explores the waxes as representative of diachronically a key moment in the history of body construction, and specifically one where art and medicine interface; and also synchronically as a key strategy in body representation. In "Fragments for a History of the Human Body" (1989) Michel Feher distinguishes body construction on three axes: top to bottom – proximities between divine and human bodies; transversal – relationships between the inside and outside of bodies; and horizontal – connections between organs and the social functions of the body. This article argues that the anatomical waxes in Florence display aspects of all three axes and that they do so in surprising ways which can only be experienced within the context of their presentation in the "Museo La Specola" situated in Florence.

Die "Museo La Specola" in Florence huisves a groot versameling anatomiese waswerke, ’n kuns ontwikkel in daardie stad as gevolg van die ondersteuning van die Medici familie in the 17de eeu met die oog op mediese opleiding. Hierdie artikel ondersoek die waswerke as verteenwoordigend van ’n diakroniese oomblik in die geskiedenis van liggaamskonstruksie en spesifiek van ’n samekoms van die kuns en die mediese dissipline; maar ook sinkronies as ’n kernstrategie in representasie van die liggaam. In sy "Fragments for a History of the Human Body" (1989) onderskei Michel Feher tussen drie verhoudings met betrekking tot liggaamskonstruksie en -representasie: van bo na onder – verhoudings tussen goddelike en menslike liggame; transversaal – verhoudings tussen die binnekant en buitekant van liggame; en horisontaal – verhoudings tussen organe en die sosiale funksie van die liggaam. Hierdie artikel poneer dat die anatomiese waswerke in die "Museo La Specola" al drie tipe[s] verhoudinge vertoon en dat hulle dit doen op maniere wat slegs ondervind kan word binne die konteks van hul aanbieding in [die] "Museo La Specola" in Florence.