La Specola

La Specola was opened to the public in 1775 as a place to showcase the various collections of natural specimens owned by the Medici. It remained the only scientific museum made specifically for the general public until the 19^th century. The museum includes taxidermies many species of animals, a room of animal skeletons, a collection of crystals and rooms of wax figures depicting human anatomy. The taxidermies are impressive in their preservation of the animals, but the way they were posed and arranged was even more interesting because it showed where the knowledge of the animals stood at the time. Many were in realistic poses, but others are displayed in ways that would be unexpected in nature or are not anatomically correct. One of the specimens is a hippo that had been owned by the grand duke and lived in the Boboli gardens; its feet stand out because they are placed like human feet. This suggests that although the taxidermists had the knowledge to preserve an animal for long periods of time, they may not have understood how each animal actually looks in nature. The crystal room was especially impressive because of how big the collection was and its presentation. The crystals were placed in black cases and lit from the back, showcasing how beautiful and intricate they are. In comparison, the crystals in the natural history museum in Venice were simply placed in the same cabinets as other specimens and didn’t stand out too much. I really liked La Specola’s presentation because it made the crystals seem more like art pieces than specimens in a museum, and the lighting allowed you to really see how each crystal reflects light. The collection of wax figures was made as a way to teach anatomy without requiring the use of a cadaver. It contained models of different organs and bones, as well as models of whole systems and some full bodies. The waxes were made by casting molds of the bodies of cadavers, forming each organ individually. The bodies also had very intricate veins that were created by coating silk threads in wax. It was incredible to see the amount of detail shown in the waxes and the time that went in to making them. The waxes showed how curious people of the time were about science and the amount of effort they would put in to gain knowledge. Very little was known about medicine at the time, and the scientists undertook this huge project so they could explore human anatomy and create something that could be used to teach others. The museum was then opened to the public, making higher knowledge accessible to everybody and not only academics. I decided to base my project on the waxes because they reflected my interest in medicine. As I looked at the waxes, I began to notice that some of the shapes and patterns depicted in human anatomy correspond to those in nature, so I combined elements of nature and anatomy in some of my drawings. By connecting my drawings with veins, I tried to show the connectivity of the human body in a different way. As seen in the waxes, the arrangement of organs and blood vessels seems chaotic but has a specific organization; every organ fits in with what is around it and is connected with veins and arteries. I arranged my drawings in an unorganized way, but used the veins to provide a structure and link the individual parts together.