Anatomical Venus

The first anatomical Venuses were created in the 18th century in Italy. Although originally designed for the medical community, the Venuses almost instantly gained popularity among the rest of the population as well.

Since the twenty-first century, thanks to the possibility of 3D modeling, anatomical models have been translated into the virtual environment: applications for studying anatomy with 3D models, exhibits in virtual reality museums, projects which allow you to interact with objects using augmented and mixed reality.

Clemente Susini's realistic models are anatomically accurate and even decorated with precious stones and fabrics, human hair

At the end of the 18th century, sculptor Clemente Susini created a series of wax figures called Anatomical Venuses. During his career, the sculptor created more than 2,000 Venuses. Susini's realistic models are anatomically accurate and even decorated with jewels and human hair. Each sculpture embodies the image of a frozen beauty, so anatomical Venus stands in line with the other representatives of its name in world art culture. Anatomical Venus changed the idea of the methodical materials of the time, becoming a "revived" medical illustration. In addition, beginning with their public debut in the 1790s, the wax models attracted crowds of local visitors and visiting tourists from all over Italy. The most popular Venus extant were created between 1780 and 1782, and can be seen in La Specola Museum of Zoology and Natural History in Florence or Spitzer in Germany.

In order to understand the secret of the popularity of anatomical Venuses, it is important to consider the history of public display. Although the appeal of anatomical sculptures as exhibits to the general public owes partly to their novelty, another factor played an important role - the tradition of fine art to present nude women as Venus. Among the most famous are the Venus of Milos, Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, and Titian's Venus of Urbino. The existence of this earlier tradition and its contribution to the formation of the image of anatomical Venus both explains in part the popularity of the latter and the ease and rapidity with which they were able to move from the professional narrow-medical context into the realm of art.