Customer Reviews

Encyclopaedia Anatomica (Klotz)

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It is astonishing what the medical wax sculptors were able to do with wax. The models are so realistic and detailed that I had to check the introduction to make sure that they were not actual preserved specimens. Almost every page is dominated by a single high-quality photo of a wax model of some part of human anatomy, and there are 700 pages. There is very little text and almost no naming of the details within a single photo, just a title (giving the scientific names of the major features being illustrated) and brief caption describing the whole model. So this is not a substitute for an anatomy book (though it would make a great companion). Every part of anatomy that I can think of is well-represented, usually by many sculptures showing different layers and cutaway views - brain, heart, lungs, skeleton, eyes, sexual organs, cutaway views of stages of pregnancy, the different parts of the digestive system, musculature, incredibly detailed networks of blood vessels, inner ear, and many groups of different body parts to show how they fit together. My one criticism of the book is that I wish it had a larger format. I have verified the dimensions stated by Amazon, which are 7.87 x 5.70 for the version that I am reviewing.

A great book for those who interested in this unique collection of anatomical wax models. Incredibly well photographed and documented, doesn't skimp on any details. It's good to see this not very well known collection credited and recorded in a thourough reference.

ENCYCLOPEDIA ANATOMICA is a detailed examination of the collection of wax images of the dissected human body which were created in the late 18th century and are housed in a unique museum - Museo La Specola in Florence, Italy. Much like "Dr Tulp's Anatomy Lesson" this collection is not for the faint of heart. Every organ, muscle, nerve, bone, nerve, and vessel of the body have been meticulously sculpted in wax. In ways this is like a Madame Toussad's Wax Museum gone mad. Yet the prosections are accompanied by some truly beautiful three dimensional tableaux of quasihistorical scenes, such as "The Plague", "Syphillis", "The Burial", and others which are dramatic sculptures in themselves. The commentary is brief but informative describing how the models for the body parts were dissected and created. As stated above, this little tome is not for everyone, but for artists who want to study the interior of their models and for all of those who just want a better glimpse of how we are assembled, this book is a treasure.

Stumbled on the Museum La Specola on a trip to Florence about five years ago. The museum, which is primarily a museum of natural history, is run down and dusty. They save these anatomical models for the end of the self-guided tour.

Even covered with dust, they are spectacular. Created towards the end of the 18th Century, they are cut-away wax models of the human body that were used to instruct medical students.

They have been cleaned up for the pictures in this book. The pictures are great -- lots of large full-color pictures of the highest quality, perhaps because the publisher (Taschen) is a publisher of fine art books.

As an aside, I saw a horror movie on TV one night in which one of these models was used as a freshly opened abdomen of a young woman who had been murdered by an evil doctor It looked pretty realistic.

Anyway, buy the book, then go visit the museum when you're in Florence (it's next to the Pitti Palace).

If this page shows it as unavailable, try Encyclopedia Anatomica (TASCHEN Icons Series)

I saw this book at a nearby bookstore and was surprised to find it so cheap!! The paper quality is good and the color pictures of wax figures are clear and crisp. Almost every page there is color picture in the 700+ pages book.

The pictures are from 25 wax figures, showing the inner parts of the body and also from different layers (muscular, skeletar, etc.). Also includes foetuses, in and outside the mother's body (at various growth stages).

At this price, I find it a real bargain. But if there were a edition of bigger size (say, A4 paper size) I would be very much interested if it were also offered at a good price but I would have no doubt that such a book would not be easily portable due to its weight and size.

On your next visit to a book store, try asking for this book to take a look... If you are looking for a book that shows the innards of the human body, I think you will like this book.