Die Mumie

Ein historisches Ganzkörperpräparat in der Sammlung der Dresdner Kunstakademie

Abstract

“The Mummy”. An historical whole body specimen in the collection of the Kunstakademie, Dresden. Current investigation of the whole body specimen of a man from the anatomical collection in the HfBK, Dresden and a few remarks with regards to the much discussed use of beeswax in painting and the discipline of anatomy from the mid 18th century.
About the origin and manufacturing technique of the fullbody preparation of a grown man, referred as the “mummy”, there has been very little reliable information. It is one of the most precious and fragile objects of historic Academy collection. In this paper the results of archival research, radiation investigation and material analyze were presented as a first step for the conservation and future presentation. The Conservation of the preparation takes place soon. Based on the information obtained, comparisons can be made in other collections and the preparation method described in the anatomical literature can be traced. Inter alia, a copy of the Berlin anatomist Friedrich August Walter from 1821, which drew on his experience when working on preparations for his intensive studies of the ancient wax painting with wax and color, was used. His own practical experiments confirmed him to have discovered the largely lost knowledge of the painting techniques of the Greeks and Romans again.