Ceroplasty
What does this term specifically refer to?
It refers to the unusual art of combining the use of wax with the ancient knowledge and techniques to reproduce bodies and render them as the anatomy of the living.
The texture, the translucency and the vast chromatic range of wax make it the ideal material to immortalise the living: thus making permanent that which would otherwise naturally decay and decompose.
Since the eighteenth century, scientific and medical communities have collaborated with wax artists to use these anatomical creations for the transmission of knowledge and observational studies.
Mirroring nineteenth-century’s knowledge, wax models show a considerable diversification and abundance. However, this predominantly French production still remains largely unknown.
This unprecedented work explores the history of wax production by presenting artists and models in the creative context of these last centuries.
It aims to restore the importance of these sculptures both in the artistic domain as well as in the advancement of scientific knowledge.