Radical by nature (Джеймс Т. Коста: Радикал по натуре)

A book that gets under the skin in every sense, containing hundreds of vivid photographs of intricate anatomical waxworks, created more than two centuries ago to astounding levels of accuracy. The models were intended to advance medical understanding at a time when scientific curiosity and intellectual fervor were sweeping Europe. Housed in Florence's La Specola museum, which opened its doors in 1775 to visitors of all social classes'itself a visionary notion at the time', the specimens have served as both educational tools and objects of public fascination ever since. Each model is a unique fusion of art and science, meticulously crafted to reveal the hidden wonders of the human body. From detailed musculature to finely rendered organs, they serve as a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, names like Gaetano Giulio Zumbo and Clemente Susini, who achieved incredible accuracy centuries before body imaging technologies came about. An extended essay on the history of the collection and the museum explains how the models were commissioned and produced'some required as many as 200 corpses for reference'and each chapter has a text explaining the human anatomy in lay terms.