Esthétique et anatomie : science, religion, sensation

Abstract

Sylvie Hugues : Esthetics and anatomy : science, religion and sensation. From its beginnings, three-dimensional anatomy was placed under the patronage of both science and art. The first wax representations of the human body attempted to translate the Cartesian mechanical model in an aesthetic form. The progress of anatomy and the development of physiology during the 18th Century led to the gradual disappearance of a scientific discourse in these anatomical pieces. They became purely artistic objects embodying the imaginary terrors of a privileged society.