BREAKING THE MOLD By : Liese Sherwood-Fabre
BREAKING THE MOLD By : Liese Sherwood-Fabre
The art and utility of wax have been woven into human history from the time of the pharaohs . Wax models have existed for centuries , but they gained popularity in the 1800s thanks to paraffin wax and Madame Tussaud ’ s iconic collection .
Wax figures have been used since ancient times . Egyptians included wax figures of gods in graves . Greeks fashioned wax dolls for children . Romans created wax models of ancestors to display in their homes and carry in funeral processions . They regained prominence in 14th-century central Italy as votive objects presented to a saint to request grace or give thanks for receiving grace . Nobles would have life-size figures made of themselves , dress them in their clothes , and present them to the church
as “ an act of devotion .” ( 1 )
Other models were used to assist medical students in their anatomical studies . Renaissance artists were the first to make wax figures without skin . ( 2 ) The collaboration between French physician Guillaume Desnoues and artist Gaetano Giulio Zumbo gained the greatest notoriety for creating such models . With Desnoues ’ assistance , Zumbo created colored wax anatomical sculptures used to instruct new doctors . ( 3 )
Another physician , Philippe Curtius , crafted similar anatomical wax figures . The French Prince of Conti was so impressed by his models that he offered him patronage , on the condition that he move from Bern to Paris . Curius brought along his housekeeper and her daughter , Marie Grosholtz . He established two permanent exhibitions in Paris that showcased figures of famous people . As she grew , he trained Marie in the art of wax modeling . When the French Revolution started , Marie recalled being instructed to create death masks for a large number of those who were executed by guillotine . ( 4 )
Marie inherited Curtius ’ wax figures after his death in 1794 , following the Revolution . She married Francois Tussaud a year later and then went to England in 1802 to display her sculptures . Because of the Napoleonic War , she was forced to stay in England and continued to live there for the next thirty years , showcasing her exhibit throughout the country . In 1835 , she secured a permanent spot for her figures at Madame Tussaud ’ s Wax Museum on Baker Street . ( 5 )
While early wax models would have been formed from beeswax , the discovery of paraffin wax revolutionized the industry , making them more affordable . ( 6 ) What began as models for rituals and education became a thriving art form that continues to capture the imagination centuries later .
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