{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O75321"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O75321/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BB2407/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BB2407/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BB2407","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AU5659","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JU0098","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JU0136","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O75321/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O75321","accessionNumber":"A.18-1945","objectType":"Statuette","titles":[{"title":"Anatomical figure","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Anatomical figures such as this, highlighting the muscles of the human body, were used to teach both medical and art students. This example was probably cast from a wax by the Anglo-Danish sculptor Michael Henry Spang (whose statuette of Hogarth is also in the collection of the Museum; inv. no. 311-1885) after a plaster cast of the flayed body of an executed criminal.\r\n\r\nOn acquisition this figure was originally thought to be Italian, but Martin Kemp identified it as a work cast after Spang, whose wax model of this figure is in the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow. Spang originally modelled this ecorché in wax for Dr William Hunter (1718-1783) and exhibited it  at the Society of Artists in 1761. \nEdward Burch is known to have cast in bronze several model made by Spang. In 1767, he was awarded a premium for a bronze ‘Cast of an anatomy figure, after Spang’ at the Society of Arts. Further bronze examples of this figure are known in other museum collections. Burch was a gem-engraver and sculptor, who had great success for more than two decades. His career declined from 1788 and from 1794 to 1812 he served as Librarian at the Royal Academy.","physicalDescription":"Male anatomical model with right arm raised.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Burch, Edward","id":"A7704"},"association":{"text":"attributed to","id":"THES286691"},"note":"cast"},{"name":{"text":"Spang, Michael Henry","id":"A7705"},"association":{"text":"after","id":"THES283471"},"note":"after a wax by"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"bronze","id":"AAT10957"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Bronze","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Death","id":"THES48970"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2006BB2407","2006AU5659","2017JU0098","2017JU0136"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"22","id":"THES49843"},"free":"","case":"2","shelf":"2","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"statuette","id":"x45409"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1761-1767","earliest":"1761-01-01","latest":"1767-12-31"},"association":{"text":"cast","id":"x32615"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"25.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Purchased from Messrs. Alfred Spero, 134 New Bond Street, London in 1945 for £85 under the terms of the John Webb Trust.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Statuette, écorché, male anatomical figure, ascribed to Edward Burch, after an original wax by Michael Henry Spang or Spong [previously thought to be Italian], Britain, after 1761","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bilbey, Diane with Trusted, Marjorie, British Sculpture 1470 to 2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2002, cat. no. 78, p. 56"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Kemp, Martin, <u>Dr William Hunter at the Royal Academy of Arts</u>Glasgow, 1975, pp. 14-17"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Kemp, Martin, 'Glasgow University Bicentenary Celebrations of Dr William Hunter (1718-1783)' exhibition review in <u>Burlington Magazine</u> CXXV, 1983, p. 383"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Price-Amerson, L, Jr. <u>The Problem of Ecorché.....</u> PhD Thesis, 1975, vol. 2, pp. 349-352, cat. nos. 41-49"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bryant, J, 'Thomas Banks' anatomical crucifixion', <u>Apollo</u> CXXXIII, no. 352, June 1991, pp. 410-11, fig. 2"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Postle, Martin, 'Flayed for Art. The écorché figure in the English Art Academy', <u>The British Art Journal</u> V, no. 1, pp.55-63, fig. 6"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Dupont, Christine and Itzel, Constanze, eds. <u>Interactions. Centuries of commerce, combat and creation</u>, exh. cat., 2017, p.191."},{"reference":{"text":"Postle, Martin, <i>The artist's model from Etty to Spencer</i>, London, 1999","id":"AUTH357096"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"<i>L'âme au corps : arts et sciences 1793-1993</i>, Paris : Réunion des musées nationaux, 1993","id":"AUTH358004"},"details":"no. 1:17","free":""}],"production":"Probably cast by Edward Burch, after a wax model by Michael Henry Spang (or Spong)","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["A.18-1945"],"accessionNumberNum":"18","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1945,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LU6041","2020MP0134"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-24","recordCreationDate":"2003-02-26","availableToBook":false}}