marta poggesi

A book that gets under the skin in every sense, containing hundreds of vivid photographs of intricate anatomical waxworks, created more than two centuries ago to astounding levels of accuracy. The models were intended to advance medical understanding at a time when scientific curiosity and intellectual fervor were sweeping Europe. Housed in Florence’s La Specola museum, which opened its doors in 1775 to visitors of all social classes―itself a visionary notion at the time―, the specimens have served as both educational tools and objects of public fascination ever since.

Each model is a unique fusion of art and science, meticulously crafted to reveal the hidden wonders of the human body. From detailed musculature to finely rendered organs, they serve as a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, names like Gaetano Giulio Zumbo and Clemente Susini, who achieved incredible accuracy centuries before body imaging technologies came about.

An extended essay on the history of the collection and the museum explains how the models were commissioned and produced―some required as many as 200 corpses for reference―and each chapter has a text explaining the human anatomy in lay terms.

Today, La Specola’s collection offers a rare glimpse into the ambition and artistry of a past era, when society began pursuing knowledge with zeal and sharing it widely. This compelling book invites all fans of natural history to marvel at these relics of our scientific heritage, treasures that continue to inspire for their beauty, realism, and enduring contribution to human understanding.

Marta Poggesi is a biologist and was curator of the museum La Specola from 1969 to 2009. Parallel to research projects, she managed and catalogued the museum collections, to which the anatomical wax bodies and parts belong.