Anatomical Waxwork Modeling: the History of the Bologna Anatomy Museum

THE ANATOMICAL RECORD (NEW ANAT.) 261:5–10, 2000

HISTORICAL NOTE

Anatomical Waxwork Modeling: The History of the Bologna Anatomy Museum

NADIR M. MARALDI,* GIOVANNI MAZZOTTI, LUCIO COCCO, AND FRANCESCO A. MANZOLI

n order to describe the Museum of models attributed to Zumbo are con- cole Lelli (1702–1776). This artist, Human Anatomy of the University served at the Specola Museum in Flo- who won the Marsigli prize for human Iof Bologna, one must also intro- rence. figure drawing, had a special interest duce the institution which houses it. The first group of anatomical prep- in the study of anatomy, which he The Alma Mater Studiorum Bononien- arations of the Museum of Bologna considered as a sort of grammar for sis, the oldest university in the world, collection was originally located at the representing the language of the hu- was founded at the beginning of the Institute of Sciences, founded in 1711 man body. In this contest, the use of second millennium. The Medical by Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli. This in- the so-called notomie, statues of School of the University of Bologna is stitution was designed to renew atten- skinned bodies, was considered essen- less ancient; nevertheless, with more tion to scientific observation and ex- tial for reaching truth and beauty in than 600 years of history, it represents perimental research in all fields of reproducing reality by artistic inter- a formidable piece of evidence for the natural sciences which, in the aca- pretation. Artistic notomie, in clay, development of human thought. The demic tradition, tended towards ab- wood, and wax, were the first models birth of the Medical School was stract theorization. Marsigli ad- of the human body, whose anatomical around 1288, the period in which dressed a document to the University perfection, obtained by careful repre- Taddeo Alerotti gave the first public asserting that the study of anatomy sentation of cadavers used for dissec- anatomical lectures. In 1316, the ana- required, as in foreign medical tion, might serve as a reference stan- tomical treatise Anathomia Mundini dard for the study of anatomy. In this of Mondino de’ Liuzzi (1270–1326) way, foundations were laid establish- was published, which reintroduced The anatomical tradition, ing the art of waxwork modeling of the use of anatomical dissection aban- anatomical specimens for the study of doned since the 3rd century B.C. (Ero- based on the use of medical practice at the University of filo and Erasistrato of the Alexandrine human cadavers, Bologna (Ruggeri and Bartoli Bar- School). sotti, 1997). The anatomical tradition, based on represents the basis of The nucleus of the historical collec- the use of human cadavers, represents anatomical waxwork tion of the Museum of Anatomy is the basis of anatomical waxwork represented by the eight models of the modeling. The first documentation of modeling. whole human body commissioned to the use of this technique in Bologna is Ercole Lelli by the Bologna Cardinal found in the biography of the abbot Prospero Lambertini, when in 1742 he Gaetano Zumbo (1656–1701). Born in schools, a direct exhibition of the became Pope Benedetto XIV. Two Siracusa, Zumbo went to Bologna corpses and the use of dissection. The wax statues represent male and fe- around 1695 to improve his knowl- Institute of Sciences, whose origin male nudes; the other skinned statutes edge of anatomy. Some waxwork and development diverged from that represent the different layers of the of the University, included the Ana- muscles, to the skeleton (Fig. 1). tomical Chamber, which initially re- These specimens, as well as those rep- ceived a group of dry specimens resenting all the muscles made by Dr. Maraldi is Professor of Histology and Director of the Department Scienze (mummified parts of cadavers), as a Lelli between 1745 and 1766, are lo- Anatomiche Umane e Fisiopatologia gift of the family of the famous anat- cated in the principal corridor of the dell’Apparato Locomotore of the Medi- omist Antonio Maria Valsalva (1666– Museum, housed inside the original cal School at the University of Bologna. Drs. Mazzotti, Cocco, and Manzoli are 1723) to be used for practical demon- showcases. The marble dissecting ta- Professors of Anatomy in the same De- strations to medicine students. ble utilized by the famous scientist partment. As a result of constant use, this ma- *Correspondence to: Nadir M. Maraldi, and anatomist Luigi Galvanti is Institute of Human Anatomy, University terial progressively deteriorated. placed at one end of the corridor. The of Bologna, via Irnerio 48, 40126 Bolo- Therefore, an anatomical collection of collection increased during the fol- gna, Italy. Fax: 39-051-583593; E-mail: [email protected] models made of a durable material lowing 100 years, reaching more than was commissioned by the painter Er- 1,000 specimens by the mid-19th

© 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc. 6 THE ANATOMICAL RECORD (NEW ANAT.) HISTORICAL NOTE century. About 200 fully restored daver preservation. However, at the ears,” as stated by the Academy Insti- specimens are now exhibited in the end of the 17th century, the University tutional Act (Manzoli and Mazzotti, museum which also includes a spe- of Bologna underwent a cultural crisis 1987). cialized library with very rare anatom- due to the dogmatism of the public The wax modeling at the Academy ical in folio works (Ruggeri, 1988). teaching. To compete with the Univer- was also done by Giovanni Manzolini, sity, several private academies were Lelli’s coworker in the period 1740– founded in Bologna in the ﬁelds of 1745, and by his wife Anna Morandi THE ORIGINS OF THE MUSEUM Arts, Philosophy, and Sciences. Manzolini, who was appointed an The study of anatomy has been widely Among them, the most famous was Anatomy teacher in 1760. Following practiced in Bologna since 1595, the Academy of Sciences, housed in Lelli’s death in 1766, his work was when the Anatomical Theater was es- the Poggi Palace, in which each continued mainly by Anna Morandi tablished inside the Archigymnasium. branch of the natural sciences was Manzolini until her death in 1774. The The Anatomical Theater was utilized represented in a cabinet, where speci- works by Ercole Lelli represented the mainly during the Carnival feast to mens, machines, and designs were ex- artistic gold standard of the Bo- perform public demonstrations on the hibited and used for experimental lognese wax modeling school, while cadavers of executed criminals. The training. The Cabinet of Anatomy, those of Anna Morandi Manzolini at- cold weather at that time of the year commissioned by Pope Benedetto tained an absolute anatomical accu- was suitable for dissection and ca- XIV to Ercole Lelli, was built in six racy. The Museum now houses 61 years, and the Anatomy Chamber was specimens handmade by Anna Mo- designed to contain the eight wax stat- randi Manzolini, probably under the ues and the exhibits of single bones supervision of Giovanni Manzolini. and muscles made by Lelli with the The specimens deal with different assistance of the sculptor Domenico parts of the human body, including Pio` and of Giovanni Manzolini. In ad- ear, nose, tongue, larynx, pharynx, dition to the exhibition rooms, the in- heart, lungs, female genitals, and the stitution, named Suppelletile Ana- fetus. The most impressive one, which tomica, included dissection and wax conﬁrms the advanced knowledge of modeling rooms, in order to improve physiological connections between the medical studies with practical the nervous system and the muscles, training, since “Anatomy must be is the tablet of the extrinsic muscles of studied more with eyes than with the eye (Fig. 2).

Figure 1. The Skinned Man by Ercole Lelli. Figure 2. Detailed reproductions of the human eye, by Anna Morandi Manzolini. At the Waxwork on a natural skeleton showing the center of the tablet: the eye bulb with the extrinsic muscles. The speciﬁc action of each surface muscles. muscle on eye position is represented in the six peripheral waxworks. HISTORICAL NOTE THE ANATOMICAL RECORD (NEW ANAT.) 7

organization of the cervical, brachial, crural, and ischiatic plexus. A few waxworks from the second half of the 18th century are part of the collection. Among them, the eight great models of the brain made by Cesare Bettini under the guidance of the anatomist Luigi Calori around 1850, and the skull with a very accurate representation of the brain by Leonida Berti. The Museum also includes the Calori collection consisting of about 1,500 human skulls. The collection maintains its anthropological interest, although the scientiﬁc validity of its classiﬁca- tion has been disputed.

WAXWORK MAIN COLLECTIONS Ercole Lelli (1702–1766) Eight display cabinets made from painted wood and glass of the 18th century, restored after World War II, contain the representation of the whole body motor apparatus. They are aligned along the right side of the monumental corridor on the first floor of the Institute of Human Anatomy. The first two cabinets, one in front of the other, contain the nude statues of a young man and a blond woman, referred to as Adam and Eve, whose sur- faces are carefully modeled to underline the muscular and vascular structures. Four statues are dedicated Figure 3. The Venerina by Clemente Susini. The surface layers and the organs are remov- to the representation of the myologi- able and can be taken apart. The heart valves and the fetus inside the uterus are visible. cal system from the more superficial muscle layers to the deeper ones. All Between 1789 and 1815, the collec- layers are removable in order to reveal these statues were made according to tion was improved by the acquisition the inner organs, many of which are the classical Bolognese school tech- of wax models made by Clemente also removable. A fetus is visible in- nique by Ercole Lelli, by assembling Susini. Working at the Specola Mu- side the uterus, and the heart and vas- the waxworks of the muscles onto the seum in Florence from 1782, this out- cular system present alterations typi- bones of human skeletons. The first standing artist produced about 2,000 cal of Fallot’s syndrome, which could one, referred to as the “skinned man,” anatomical wax reproductions during have been the cause of the pregnant shows in great detail all the surface his 40 years of activity. Some of these woman’s death. Other specimens of muscles (Fig. 1) and resembles the samples are preserved in Italian uni- the first period of Susini’s production two wood statues by Lelli of the Dis- versities such as Padova, Pavia, Siena, reveal an admirable balance between section Table in the Archiginnasio and Cagliari, as well as in other Euro- artistic reproduction of the truth and Anatomy Hall in Bologna. However, pean institutions; the bulk of them, perfect knowledge of anatomy. The the colors of the muscles, tendons, more than 800, are at the Military latest group of waxworks, made dur- fatty deposits, and bones make the Academy Museum Josephinum in Vi- ing the final part of Susini’s life, when waxwork much more realistic and im- enna. he was affected by familial mourning, pressive than the wood statues. The Some of the 23 Susini’s specimens are impressive copies of cadaver prep- other three statues represent the mus- in the Museum of Bologna reach the arations characterized by a sharp ver- cles in increasingly greater depth, ac- highest level of the entire artist’s pro- istic sight. cording to a still-accepted classifica- duction. The most famous is a young Some interesting preparations of tion of the muscle layers. The most lady’s body called Venerina, which Giuseppe Astorri can be dated be- impressive statue is that of the deeper presents several unique characteris- tween 1816 and 1825. They represent muscle layer, in which a great number tics (Fig. 3). The body is represented alterations of the urinary and genital of the skeletal bones are visible, with in a sleeping attitude and the surface apparatus in hermaphrodites, and the the tendon insertions and the joint- 8 THE ANATOMICAL RECORD (NEW ANAT.) HISTORICAL NOTE

Figure 4. Detail of the lymphatic system of the abdominal region after the removal of the intestine (also in this case some organs can be taken apart), by Clemente Susini. capsules represented with astonishing joints and wax-made ligaments and and touch, and the nine tables dedi- realism. The last two cabinets contain capsules, shows the technical proce- cated to the organs of the pelvis and of two skeletons, one of a woman with a dures used in the skeleton assembly. the chest are modeled as dissection sickle in her hand, the other of a man preparations to underline functional with a scythe, which recall the usual Anna Morandi Manzolini details of the vascularization and in- representation of Death. In the female nervation of the organs. skeleton, the joint-capsules and liga- (1714–1774) ments are modeled by wax, while in At one extremity of the corridor, a the male skeleton, the bones are as- large room contains all the other wax- Clemente Susini (1754–1814) sembled with artificial joints in iron, work collections of the Museum. Two In a showcase table beside the famous which allow the bones to be moved vertical cabinets exhibit the wax self- Venerina (Fig. 3), some of Susini’s according to the functional require- portrait of Anna Morandi Manzolini waxworks are shown, all character- ment of the joints. and the portrait of her husband Gio- ized by an impressive accuracy of an- On the other side of the corridor, at vanni Manzolini. Both are repre- atomical description and by the real- both sides of Galvani’s dissecting ta- sented in the attitude of dissecting, in istic representation of the cadaver ble, two vertical cabinets contain one case a skull to show the meninx, face and body details. For example, other works of Lelli. The largest col- in the other, the liver to show the gall the typical colors of the cadaver skin lection is dedicated to the muscle ap- bladder. Manzolini’s other works, are reproduced as never before, and paratus. Wood panels display single which reveal her interest in detecting both the down of the body and the isolated muscles with their tendons or the functional connections among the beard are made of actual hairs dipped groups of functionally-related mus- organs of a given system, are shown in into the wax and then trimmed. The cles. An historically important exhibit a large vertical cabinet and in a show- main work is the representation of a displays both the normal kidneys and case table. Among them, eight wood dissected female body showing the abnormal horseshoe kidney. This first panels, delimited by gauze materials lymphatic system of the head, neck, Lelli work, presented to the Academy as in an actual dissection field, show chest, and abdominal organs (Fig. 4), of Sciences in 1742, was so impressive the muscles of the limbs, exhibiting as well as of the upper limb. Two im- that the Academy commissioned him the tendon insertions and the nerves. pressive works of the late period of to make the eight statues and the In addition, the 28 models describing Susini’s activity represent dissected other panels. A large collection of in very realistic detail the senses of men’s heads. One of them shows the bone segments, with artificial iron sight (Fig. 2), hearing, taste, smell, brain, the oral cavity with the HISTORICAL NOTE THE ANATOMICAL RECORD (NEW ANAT.) 9

periods and the different workers. Wax was initially used instead of, or associated with, other fluid sub- stances, such as mineral oil, turpentine, and quicksilver, to inject the vascular system. This technique, used also by Leonardo da Vinci, was fully developed during the 17th century, mainly by Swammerdam (1637–1680) and Ruysch (1638–1731). Some anatomical specimens, obtained by wax injection into the vessels and by the digestion of the organic components by acids, are conserved in the Mu- seum. Obviously, this technique is particularly suitable for showing the vascular tree of parenchymal organs, such as kidney or lung, but does not allow the reproduction of the whole organ structure (Legeè, 1979). How- ever, the technical basis for the wax modeling was derived from vascular injection. The specimens at the Museum of Bologna were made essentially by two techniques: the superimposition of wax handmade models of organs on the original skeletal bones, and the fusion of the wax into a plaster mold of the organs. The first technique was used by Lelli’s school in Bologna, the second by Susini’s school in Florence. In the first case, the specimens are the only copy extant; in the other, several copies could be obtained. The use of molds allowed the artist to make vari- ants of the same specimen, with changes in surface details or colors. In both cases, cadaver organs are needed Figure 5. Dissected man’s head showing the meninx, the tongue, the neck, and the orbital either to be carefully copied or to cavities, by Clemente Susini. Lymphatic vessels are erroneously represented in the brain. serve as molds. The use of skeletal bones, reinforced by a metal scaffold, tongue, the orbital cavity with the were obtained with original tech- allowed Lelli to arrange the statues in eye, and the neck cavity with blood niques, mainly those regarding blood anatomical or artistic positions and to vessels, nerves, and lymph vessels and lymph vessels, utilizing silk and ensure an absolute balance of the rel- (Fig. 5). The other one displays the cotton threads soaked in wax, and ap- ative proportions of the different parts mimic and masticatory muscles and plied on the surface. Of particular in- of the body. The bone skeleton was the parotid gland. terest are the models of the upper and generally coated with tow or cloth to lower limbs, with an extremely realis- prevent the detachment of the wax from the bone surface and to reduce Giuseppe Astorri (1795–1852) tic representation of the sheaths, obtained by silver and gold powder dis- the amount of the wax. The single Another showcase displays some wax- solved into transparent wax. Among parts were modeled by hemp soaked works by Giuseppe Astorri, which Astorri’s works, 25 models of the with wax diluted in turpentine and show the influence of the Florentine joints were done to complete Lelli’s mixed with bran, using the cadavers school, although the technique used is project of the entire motor system. as models. Some specimens were based on the Bolognese tradition of modeled in situ, while others were the utilization of the bones of the skel- THE WAX MODELING made separately and then assembled eton. In fact, plaster molds taken from (Pike, 1973). the cadaver organs have been used, TECHNIQUE The wax used for the modeling but they have been assembled onto The technique used for anatomical work was that secreted by the honey the skeleton. Moreover, the details wax modeling varied according to the bee Apis mellifica to construct the 10 THE ANATOMICAL RECORD (NEW ANAT.) HISTORICAL NOTE honeycomb. After the removal of the CONCLUSIONS prevent this loss, all the wax material honey, the honeycombs were melted at the Anatomy Museum has been At medical schools, the teaching of in boiling water and the filtered prod- made accessible by the Internet, and anatomy evolves and education in the uct constituted the wax, whose color the historical, artistic, and anatomical dissection laboratory is frequently depended on the age of the honey- catalog will be continuously im- supplemented by laptop computers comb and the flower species of the proved. territory. The waxes were of different just like at the School of Medicine of origins, characterized by their melting the University of Bologna. The mod- point and color; the Italian wax was ern plastination technique (infiltra- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS an intense yellow, the German one a tion and embedding of the organs by light yellow, and the waxes coming polymerizing resins) represents a con- We are indebted to Professors Ales- from Eastern countries were charac- tinuation of the wax modeling tradi- sandro Ruggeri and Franco Ruggeri terized by a dark red color. The most- tion. The wax models and the plasti- for providing us published and un- used waxes were the so-called Levante nated organs provide suitable published material on the history of and Sottana, diluted in turpentine or facilities, when associated with some the Museum. We wish to thank Mrs. melted with tallow and putty. Differ- practical dissections and views of pre- Catherine Weber for carefully editing ent colors were obtained either by viously recorded dissections, for ac- the text. melting or painting the wax with sil- quiring the fundamental elements of ver, gold, carmine red, lapis-blue, cin- gross anatomy. nabar, ceruse, minium, and China Recently, a project has been ad- LITERATURE CITED ink. The Florentine school required vanced by the trustees of the Univer- Legeé G. 1979. Les injection anatomiques four phases: coating the anatomical sity of Bologna which could involve aux XVII et XVIII sie`cles: des injections specimen with clay, making the plas- key choices in the near future for the de metaux fusibles aux injections a` la cire. La ceroplastica nella scienza e ter mold, casting the melted wax in Museum of Anatomy, and is now nell’arte. Olschtri, Firenze. p 657–668. the mold utilizing superimposed lay- stimulating a cultural debate. The Manzoli FA, Mazzotti G. 1989. Il Museo di ers of differently colored waxes, and project provides the displacement of a Anatomia Umana. In: Tega W, editor. manually finishing the surface. Small great part of the wax models from the Storia illustrata di Bologna: I musei structures, such as surface vessels and Museum of Anatomy to the Academy dell’Universita`. AIEP Bologna 11/VII. p 201–220. nerves, were obtained by coating iron of Sciences. This would allow the re- Pike E. 1973. A bibliographical dictionary or cotton threads with the wax. Lym- vival of the ancient collections which of wax modellers. Oxford: Oxford Uni- phatic vessels having a knobby ap- covered all the different fields of versity Press. pearance were obtained by extracting knowledge of the 18th century. On the Ruggeri F. 1988. Il Museo dell’Istituto di in an intermitted way a silk thread other hand, the anatomical wax mod- Anatomia Umana Normale. In: Pizzi W, from the melted wax. The metal els, separated by the context in which editor. I luoghi del conoscere. Milan: Pizzi A. Press. p 98–105. brightness of the tendons was ob- anatomy studies are continuously im- Ruggeri A, Bertoli Barsotti A. 1997. The tained by gold powder entrapped in a proved, could represent a great loss birth of waxwork modelling in Bologna. transparent paint coat. for medical culture. In order to partly Ital J Anat Embryol 102:99–107.