The Art Student's Guide to External Anatomy

This is a republished edition of The Anatomy of the External Forms of Man, Intended for the Use of Artists, Painters and Sculptors by Doctor J. Fau, Lithographed by M. Leveillé, pupil of M. Jacob, New edition with additional plates by William Norris. I located another edition with a publication date of 1849.

The same author had a young artist, Eugene Caudron, a pupil of David d'Angers, make an anatomic plaster statuette, 70 centimeters high, for the use of artists (nouvel ecorche) which is sold, white or colored, with a description and four pages of pictorial representations (the four views of the statuette), for 15 and 30 francs respectively (the description alone costs 3 francs). Prior to this, Johann Martin Fischer's plaster.

Photos are of two different sculptures by Jacques-Eugène Caudron each titled Écorché (dissection of a man). The second is in Rouen ; musée Flaubert & d'Histoire de la Médecine. It was a clever piece, according to a description at the French Ministry of Culture, which has a great searchable website of French art objects, "Each arm is removable by Keys. The chest and abdominal wall are open and reveal the organs dealt with summarily. "

Preceeding Dr. Fau's book and perhaps influencing it was another by P.N. Gerdy similarly titled Anatomie des Formes Exterieures which included 3 schematic diagrams of the human form.

Another book with art designed by M. Leveille and engraved under his supervision was Heath's Operative Surgery.

A Course of Operative Surgery, consisting of a Series of Colored Plates, each plate containing Several Figures, Drawn from Nature by the Celebrated Anatomical Artist, M. Leveille, of Paris, Engraved on Steel under his immediate superintendence, with Descriptive Text of Each Operation, and numerous Wood Engravings. By Christopher Heath, F.r.c.s., Surgeon to University College Hospital, and Holme Professor of Clinical Surgery in University College, London. One Large Quarto Volume. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. Sold by Subscription. Full information upon application. Cloth, $12.00. P. BLAKISTON, SON & CO., 1012 Walnut St., Philadelphia.

Wikipedia article.

Skin in Water-Colours: Unpublished Aquarelles from Hebra's Department in Vienna 1841-1843 at Amazon.com.

The last three plates in the book are dissections of ancient statuary, The Laocoon, The Gladiator and Discobolus. Link to Washington School of Medicine - Monuments of Medicine page - rare books from the Bernard Becker Medical Library, which has a note on the French edition and a picture of the Laocoon Plate, compare it to the original sculpture. The Laocoon plate was original to the French edition, the Gladiator and Discobolus are original to theEnglish edition.

Anatomie Des Formes Exterieures Du Corps Humain at Amazon.com. A Manual of Artistic Anatomy for the Use of Students in Art at Amazon.com.

A link to an exhibition of Jean Baptiste François Leveillé's works and another one and a link to the home page of the exhibition Anatomy Acts. Google Books result for Traite Practique D'Anatomie, with plates by Leveillé.

According to Boris Röhrl in his History and Bibliography of Artistic Anatomy, Julien Fau's textbook along with Duval's Precis d' Anatomie, were the most successful publications of their period. Fau's invention was to supplement the textbook with the large atlas of prints. Röhrl also notes that for the reader not interested in the extensive description of the prints found in the textbook a pocket book, Anatomie artistique elementaire, was created. French at students called the small volume Petit Fau, and the large textbook Grand Fau. Röhrl argues that while Fau was influential in anatomical studies, his main concern was with the faithful rendering to produce art. "The only question posed is why a picture executed with the greatest scientific exactitude should not be an effective work of art at the same time.Thoughts based in the metaphysical or spiritual sphere were not considered by Fau, but he does recognize that the plain reproduction of nature did not produce artistic value in a certain work to the same degree. His main argument lies in a continuation of the tradition of the Renaissance."

You can search for a copy of Röhrl's book at Abebooks.com. Use the search terms "Boris Röhrl," or "History and Bibliography of Artistic Anatomy."

An English translation of the large textbook (Grand Fau) without the plates is at Google Books The Anatomy of the External Forms of Man, ed. with additions by R. Knox.

A reprint of the atlas of anatomical prints is what makes up my book, Anatomy for Art Students, Painters and Sculptors.

Links:

These arrangements were informal, but then "anatomical modeller" was not a regular occupation. Medical models were made by artists, preparators and others. Most German universities had a drawing teacher, but professors' attempts to create posts for scientific artists tended to founder on the combination of demanding job description and low academic and artistic status. Models were more of a luxury than drawings and the skill was less widely distributed. Some state collections already employed staff to prepare specimens for display‹Munich's zoological preparator had a doctorate‹but it was rare for a medical modeller to gain a dedicated position, such as Joseph Towne enjoyed at Guy's. In Vienna Dr Anton Elfinger was from 1849 hired by the medical faculty to produce illustrations and models, but the money soon ran out. A little later at the University of Freiburg in Baden Dr Adolf Ziegler made embryological waxes as a zootomical Assistent, a position that for others was a stepping-stone to a chair, but from which he resigned in 1868 to build up a private studio.