Portrait in Wax: The Anatomical Models of Anna Morandi Manzolini
For those travellers doing ‘The Grand Tour’ of Europe in the middle of the eighteenth century, a recommended stop was to see ‘The Lady Anatomist’. Anna Morandi Manzolini made beautiful anatomical models from wax and taught students anatomy. Initially working with her husband, after his death, she carried on her anatomical investigations on her own. She claimed to have dissected over 1,000 cadavers in pursuit of her art, and her work was recognised across Europe, from the Royal Society in London, to Catherine the Great in Russia. This talk will look at Anna Morandi Manzolini’s life and career, and her patronage by a Pope who promoted scientific investigation and the education of woman.
Biography:
Cat Irving has been the Human Remains Conservator for Surgeons’ Hall since 2015 and has been caring for anatomical and pathological museum collections for over twenty years. After a degree in Anatomical Science she began removing brains and sewing up bodies at the Edinburgh City Mortuary. Following training in the care of wet tissue collections at the Royal College of Surgeons of England she worked with the preparations of William Hunter at the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow University, where she is now Consultant Human Remains Conservator. Cat is a licensed anatomist, and gives regular talks on anatomy and medical history. She recently carried out conservation work on the skeleton of serial killer William Burke
don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day
