Anna Morandi Manzolini (1714–1774), a Bolognese wax sculptor, overcame humble origins to become one of the most important anatomical artists of the eighteenth century. Working with her husband Giovanni Manzolini (c. 1700–1755), and continuing alone after his death, Morandi created remarkably lifelike and anatomically accurate wax models of the sensory organs and urogenital tract. At the height of her fame, Morandi created bust-length portraits of herself and her husband in the process of a human dissection to commemorate their contributions to the burgeoning field of anatomical ceroplastics – a traditionally male-dominated field.
This essay examines Morandi’s portraits from an art historical perspective, contending that her status as a woman artist lent her considerable authority in the Bolognese intellectual milieu, an authority deriving not solely from her medical prowess, but most significantly from her abilities as an artist to unite the talents of the eye and hand.