Wax male figure showing the muscles and bones of the body, Florence, Italy, 1776-1780

Wax male anatomical figure, showing deep muscles and skeleton, in case, Italian, 1776-1780

The skin and some of the muscles of this half life-size wax figure have been removed to reveal the deep muscles and the skeleton. This model is part of a series that shows layer after layer of tissue being removed to expose the internal structure of the body. The life-size versions were used in the Zoological Museum of the University of Florence, known as La Specola, by the Grand Duke of Tuscany when teaching anatomy to students.

The series was probably made by the workshop of one of the most famous wax modellers of the time, Clemente Susini (1754-1814), who was renowned for his accurate anatomical detail.