The Anatomical Venus is a book by Joanna Ebenstein produced in 2016 by Thames & Hudson in London that focuses on the use of female medical anatomical models throughout the ages and their history.
I first came across images of many anatomical and medical models from the book on-line and found it very interesting how these Waxworks where created with the male gaze in mind, how oddly serene they could be or how they are depicted to be in ecstasy despite the fact that their organs where on display.
These mannequins are also extremely detailed, although they may not always be absolutely correct for it's time they offer a level of interesting artistic rendition of organs, veins and nerves, to a fineness that would be considered explicitly violent if it was not considered fine art prior.
I largely brought this book for it's study on fetishization of the female form dispute it's violent nature.
"The Demountable Venus and her other sisters follow a fine line between fine art and Fetishization. Carved smiles and downward cast gazes, toying with their real human hair or clutching at their pillows in ecstasy as they are taken apart some going as far as having dainty silk ribbons wrapped around their entrails, these perpetually idealized women that are perpetually pregnant."
Although it is overall a very interesting read, i bought it more for it's study of it's fetishisim of the female from and it's dissonance between that and it's violent imagery, bringing it more into romantic subtexts.
This was important in Venuses display of body horror, because it's display is so alike to what i had in mind visually, an almost mechanical display of gore.
Artists such as Marc Jean Bourgery, Jacob Nicolas Henri and historical scientific prints of dissection also informed part of Venus.
Bourgery, m,j,b. 1797. Traité complet de l’anatomie de l’homme [lithography and hand colouring]. At: [unknown]: [unknown].
Henri, J N H. 1797. Tome 3. Pl. 42. [lithography and hand colouring]. At: [unknown]: [unknown].
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