The Modern Anatomical Venus at Leiden's Museum Boerhaave: Guest Post by Bart Grob, The Boerhaave Museum

Just a few weeks ago, the new exhibition Amazing Models, on the Emotional, Medical and Cultural History of Anatomical Models opened at Leiden's Boerhaave Museum. To commemorate the opening of this incredible looking exhibition, here is a guest post by Bart Grob, conservator and curator at that museum, about the publicity image commissioned by the exhibition seen above (top image):

Is it fashion, is it a glamor, or is it anatomy?

In fact it's all three. This modern day anatomical Venus (top image), in style of the famous anatomical models from the Viennese Josephinum museum (bottom image) is portrait of Dutch actress Georgina Verbaan.

She was photographed by Koen Hauser who has a large interest in anatomy, and is well known for this anatomy series. He combined an image of an original wax model from the Museum Boerhave collections with a glamorous photo of the model, thus reconstructing an image of the time when female anatomical models where not only about the anatomy of the body. Skilled hands of Florentine waxmodellers delivered beautiful, sensual and elegant models of the female body.

Yesterday, the 20th of November, Amazing Models, a new exhibit on the emotional, medical and cultural history of anatomical models, opened to the public at the Museum Boerhaave. To address all these different themes this reconstruction of the anatomical Venus was chosen as image for the publicity campaign. The heyday of spectacular anatomy seem to be back again!

You can find out more about this exhibition, on view until June of 2014, by clicking here. And stay tuned for news of a Morbid Anatomy Museum pop-up event series taking place in partnership with the Boerhaave Museum, the Vrolik Museum and more Netherlands-based institutions, coming soon!

Top image: Fotocredits: Koen Hauser, photography Hair and Make up, Luise van Huisstede, Model Georgina Verbaan

Bottom image: "Anatomical Venuses," Wax Models with human hair in rosewood and Venetian glass cases,The Josephinum, Workshop of Clemente Susini of Florence circa 1780s, Vienna, Austria, from The Secret Museum, by Joanna Ebenstein

Care and Conservation of Early 19th Century Wax Anatomical Models

If you are interested in knowing more about anatomical waxes, you could do worse than to check out today's entry, "Waxing Lyrical," on The Science Museum's "Stories from the Stores" blog to read conservator Emily Yates' account of cleaning this circa 1818 Italian wax by by Francesco Calenzuoli for the wonderful looking exhibition Doctors, Dissection and Resurrection Men at the Museum of London, running until 14 April 2013. 

You can find out more about this particular piece by clicking here; click on images to see much larger, finer versions. Caption reads: This anatomical wax model shows the internal organs, the heart is entirely removable, made by Francesco Calenzuoli (1796-1821) ( Science Museum, London )

Ars Moriendi (The Art of Dying), Loreto Prague, Through November 30th

Exciting exhibition alert; I am severely tempted to try to make it here before it closes...

ARS MORIENDI
Loreto Prague, Loretánské nám.7,  118 00 Praha 1 – Hradčany
Exhibition extended until 30th November.

The aim of the exhibition is, above all, to introduce to the public the hitherto unknown space of the crypt for benefactors beneath the church of the Nativity of Our Lord. A fascinating discovery in the crypt revealed unique Baroque mural paintings depicting motifs of Death and Resurrection – allegories of Time, symbols of fragility and transience of human existence. These frescos of exceptional quality were created in 1664 by the means of the special technique of chiaroscuro – employing exclusively the shades of black and grey. The work of their author, perhaps a Capuchin order painter, was derived from the Flemish and Dutch prints and was commissioned by the then patroness of Loreto, Countess Elisabeth Apollonia of Kolowrat. The main scene depicting the Raising of Lazarus was based on the famous etching by Rembrandt, which later inspired numerous artists across the centuries, including Van Gogh – the Loreto fresco is remarkable because it is a very early reaction to Rembrandt’s work created while he was still alive...

... Part of the presentation will be dedicated to other interesting exhibits associated with the burial practices in Loreto – for example the unknown ground plan of the Lobkowicz crypt of patrons beneath Santa Casa, design of Castrum Doloris created in 1698 for the burial of the Count Václav Ferdinand of Lobkowicz, collection of the Baroque funerary textiles or several reliquary crosses which were part of the Loreto treasure and had not yet been exhibited.

The exhibition will also introduce the customs related to burying in the Capuchin order crypts. Borrowed for this occasion from the Brno crypt were Baroque coffin lids with painted decoration, portraits and coats of arms of selected donors who sought their final resting place with the Capuchins. The perception of the order spirituality of Franciscan observance in the funerary sphere is broadened by the presentation of two Baroque Franciscan convent mortuaries.

It rarely happens that an entirely unknown monument in the centre of Prague is discovered. The Loreto exhibition offers an opportunity to get more closely acquainted with the impressive crypt space decorated with unique paintings and with the Baroque ARS MORIENDI – The Art of Dying – the inner grasp of the end of human existence as a gate to eternal life.

You can find out more here. Thanks so much to Pam Grossman for letting me know about this!

It Came from the Stores, Exhibition, Grant Museum of Zoology, London, Through August 31, 2012

“A lovely skeleton, but sadly lacking a skull,” laments one of the tags afforded to the remains of a Capuchin monkey in this show of the unseen at the ever-exotic Grant Museum. “Rarely do ‘incomplete’ specimens make the grade for display.”

When I am in London, I will most certainly be checking out the wonderful sounding exhibition "It Came from the Stores," on view at the incomparable Grant Museum  until August 31st.

You can find out more here.

Image caption: An elephant shrew is among the specimens on show at the Grant Museum of Zoology

© UCL, Grant Museum of Zoology

Quay Brothers Retrospective in New York City! "On Deciphering the Pharmacist's Prescription for Lip-Reading Puppets," Museum of Modern Art, NYC

I just had the honor to view the beautifully installed and revelatory Quay Brothers retrospective "On Deciphering the Pharmacist's Prescription for Lip-Reading Puppets" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. I have long been a fan of the Quay's work, and still, this exhibition had much to astonish, delight and surprise, situating the Quay's work within the larger context of an avant-garde tradition, and revealing the Quay's oeuvre to be much broader and richer than expected. Surprises and highlights included pen and ink drawings evoking a slightly less whimsical Edward Gorey, a mini-exhibition of the of the kind of Polish theater posters from the 1960s which inspired much of their work, and paintings by a scientific illustrator who mentored them in high school. Also of special interest, at least to me, was a collection of 8 mm Eastern European travel films which The Quay's collected as inspiration for their work; these grainy and blurred snatches of dark and forgotten streets, shop windows with wax mannequin heads, and church interior possess much of the atmosphere, mystery, and powerful detail evident the Quay's best works; they serve as both an excellent introduction to the exhibition and an illuminating key to their film work.

If you are able to visit the exhibition--which I very highly recommend!--make very sure not to miss the bottom floor portion of the exhibit, where you will find a collection of The Quay Brother's dioramic film decors installed in what feels like a furtive peepshow, a sort of perverse and surrealistic Musée Mécanique. Here you can immerse yourself in the tiny and exquisite sets from such films as Street of Crocodiles; Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme; The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes; and The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer; their wealth of detail rewards a careful and slow eye. Also, make sure to set some time aside to watch the films, many of which play in mini-theatres set up within the exhibition; the ballet piece The Sandman was an especial revelation to this viewer; dance and the Quays go surprisingly well together.

As we see in this exhibition, the through line of The Quay's long and storied careers--which has spanned drawing, painting, film, animation, theater and graphic design, and dioramic "film decors"-- is a sense of mysterious and compelling atmosphere created by an exacting and exquisite attention to detail: the craquelure of antique objects, a perfectly fractured piece of glass, the patina of caked on dirt, the hand-rendered imperfection of calligraphic script, the artful use of shadow, and, above all, a wonderful wit and humor that counterbalances the unapologetic inscrutability of the work. Do not miss this exhibition! You will never look at the work of the Quay Brothers the same way again. In a good way!

The exhibition will be on view at New York Museum of Modern Art from August 12–January 7.You can find out about the exhibition here. Also, the museum will be hosting a series of screenings of Quay Brothers films running the duration of the exhibition; you can find out more about that here.

All above images were taken in the exhibition.

"Last Things and Other Forms," Herbert Pfostl and Jon Beacham

My friend Herbert Pfostl--who is also the curator of the outstanding New Museum Bookstore and author of the wonderful To Die No More--has a lovely looking exhibition with artist Jon Beacham. Entitled "Last Things and Other Forms," it will be on view until this Friday, July 27th, whence it will be ushered out by a closing party from 6:30 to 10. Looks to be a lovely show. You can find out more by clicking here.

"Bone," The Florence Nightingale Museum, London, July 19th thorugh August 31

Exiting upcoming exhibit alert just in from my friend Natasha McEnroe at the Florence Nightingale Museum:

BONE

19 July – 31 August 2012
Florence Nightingale Museum
2 Lambeth Palace Road London SE1 7EW

This summer, the Florence Nightingale Museum will host an eclectic exhibition of around 60 objects that explores the rich history and substance of bone, across cultures, throughout time and between disciplines.

Mobile Studio Architects will transform part of the museum allowing visitors to explore objects including an x-ray of Sigmund Freud's head, a cat skeleton to ward off evil spirits, a skull shaped candle made for Marilyn Manson's wedding, a contemporary apothecary jar showing the effects of syphilis on bone, cutting edge medical bone imaging and Florence Nightingale’s pet tortoise ‘Jimmy’.

The exhibition will reflect bone’s intriguing and multi-faceted story in its objects as well as through live performances and demonstrations by biomedical researchers and clinicians, forensic archaeologists, bone carvers, dancers, historians, artists and other professional bone users.

Simon Gould, BONE Curator says:
“I am so excited to be bringing together some of the most extraordinary objects from more than a dozen of London’s museums and collections along with remarkable medical expertise and acclaimed contemporary artists. Bone is an astonishing material and this exhibition promises to bring this to life for the visitor.”

Natasha McEnroe, Director of the Florence Nightingale Museum says:
“In the heart of London’s Southbank in this Olympic year, we are thrilled to be hosting BONE and to offer our visitors an even more inspiring experience. Following the museum’s hugely successful refurbishment in 2010, this multi-disciplinary exhibition will further establish the Florence Nightingale Museum’s position on London’s cultural and scientific map”.

More can be found here.

Images, top to bottom:

1. It is 19th bone china, that has been “up-cycled” by Melody Rose to add the skull image. “Reproduced by Courtesy of Melody Rose.”  
2. 1908 x-ray of Parissien woman in a whalebone corset.

"Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection," Through July 8, Chicago Cultural Center: Exhibition Report

 

I collect images of  "Death" because I am a visual person who takes in information best visually. As I have gotten older the thought of my own demise has begun to enter my conscious thoughts. The universality of "Death," with the realization that we will all die, encouraged me to begin the conversation of my mortality visually rather than talking or reading about it. I believe that there is a larger audience who might also be more comfortable beginning that discussion in a visual way, which is why I always thought of my collection in terms of a public exhibition.

--Richard Harris, the collector whose works are featured in "Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection,"in an interview with Morbid Anatomy

Whilst in Chicago a few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to be able to spend a good two hours or so with the works in the profoundly wonderful new exhibition "Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection," on view through July 8 at the Chicago Cultural Center. This seriously (!!!) not-to-be-missed exhibition showcases nearly 1,000 works which range from 2000 B.C.E. to the present, from fine art to ephemera, and from Mexican to Japanese to Tibetan to European artist traditions, all drawn from the astounding death-related collection of Richard Harris.

Some of my favorite pieces--featured in the photos above--included Rudolfo Villena Hernandez "A Commemoration of the Bicentennial Proclamation of the Independence of Mexico" (third from bottom); Michel de Spiegelaere's "Macabre Scene," one of the better Frederik Ruysch tableaux recreations I have had the pleasure to see (8-10 from top); a collection of macabre book plates and postcards (4th and 5th from bottom); Roger Reutimann's "Death of Venus" (seventh down), a wonderful collection of 19th Century ceramic German Dance of Death Figures (second from bottom), a carved wooden memento mori figurine from the early 17th century (third from bottom), and Jodie Carie's "In the eyes of Others plaster-cast bone chandelier bringing to mind the wonders of the  Kutná Hora ossuary (fourth down). The installation itself--expertly staged by curator Lucas Cowan--is wonderful as well, evoking the beautiful clutter of the wunderkammer but utilizing clever groupings which draw the eye and invite close investigation rather than overwhelm.

You can see more photos from the exhibition--and find out more about the works seen above--by clicking here. You can find out more on this exhibition on this recent post, on the Chicago Cultural Center website, and on Richard Harris' website. You can watch a gallery walk through and interview with Richard Harris by clicking here.

"Get stuffed: The Disturbing Animals Created when Taxidermy Goes Wrong," The Daily Mail, 2011

The Daily Mail's article "Get stuffed: The disturbing animals created when taxidermy goes wrong"--which profiles the activity of the Facebook group "Badly Stuffed Animals"--has been rapidly making the internet rounds. In an oddly proud moment, I found that the article showcases one of the more disturbing pieces from The Niagara Falls Museum that we have on show as part of The Great Coney Island Spectacularium. Can you guess which one it is? Hint: it is unable to stand on its own two legs...

To see this piece in person, come down to The Great Coney Island Spectacularium! You can read the article and see the full collection by clicking here.

Thanks to Eleanor Crook and Matt Haber for sending this my way.

All images from the article.

"Animated Anatomies," Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, Until July 17, 2011

While at the AAHM meeting in Philadelphia a few weeks ago, I met a number of fascinating folks, among them Rachel Ingold, the curator of the History of Medicine Collections at the Duke Medical Center Library & Archives. She was telling me about a wonderful exhibition on flap anatomies (images above) that will be on view there until July of this year; here is what she had to say about it:

Animated Anatomies explores the visually stunning and technically complex genre of printed texts and illustrations known as anatomical flap books. This exhibit traces the flap book genre beginning with early examples from the sixteenth century, to the colorful “golden age” of complex flaps of the nineteenth century, and finally to the common children’s pop-up anatomy books of today. The display—which includes materials from the Rare Book Manuscript and Special Collection Library at Duke University, the Duke Medical Center Library & Archives’ History of Medicine Collections, and from the private collections of the curators of the exhibit—highlights the history of science, medical instruction, and the intricate art of bookmaking.

Through the hands-on process of exposing layer after layer of anatomical illustrations, flap books mimic the act of human dissection, inviting the viewer to participate in a virtual autopsy, so to speak. Whether it’s a sixteenth-century hand-colored treatise on the layers of the eye or a nineteenth-century obstetrical guide in 3-D for performing cesareans, these books draw the viewer in. Over time, as advances in both science and printing promoted more widespread medical knowledge, anatomical flap books began to appeal to more general audiences eager to learn about their own bodies’ inner workings. Technological developments in machine printing also allowed for more colorful and precise illustrations than the hand-colored treatises of the early modern period.

A symposium was held on April 18 and we hope to have videos posted from this event soon. To learn more about the symposium, exhibit, see photos of anatomical flap books, and watch videos of them in action, visit the exhibit website. For more information, contact Meg Brown at meg.brown@duke.edu or Rachel Ingold at rachel.ingold@duke.edu. The exhibit will be up through July 17, 2011, and is free and open to the public.

This fantastic looking exhibition will be on display in the Perkins Gallery, Perkins Library, at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, until July 17, 2011, and in the History of Medicine Gallery in the Medical Center and Archives Library from April 13-July 17, 2011. To find out more--or to pay a virtual visit!--check out the exhibition website by clicking here.