Encyclopaedia Anatomica

Rating:
Summary: Wow! X Files meets the Medicis!
Review: I ran across this book in a small shop in Rome (wish I had seen it here first) - while the text of my copy is all in Italian (And I don't read Italian) the pictures were enough to sell me on wanting to see the exhibit it represents. It is chalk full of beautiful photographs of the human anatomical exhibit at La Specola, a zoological museum in Florence, Italy - kind of on the strange macabre side, but if you like that, you will love this book. The focus of the human exhibit is a number of incredible 18th century wax sculptures that were done for the study of medicine and strange ailments of the body. As a figure drawing student, I am very interested in learning as much as I can about anatomy - this book has some beautiful artistically well done photographs of these various anatomical structures which are a wonderful study tool for me. Hey, all I can say is that the price was so good and I loved the book enough to buy a couple copies and give one as a gift - and I will add that the price here on Amazon is better than what I paid.