A mystery: the technique used by Honoré Fragonard to create his famous ”écorchés” (cut-away anatomical figures)

By Christophe Degueurce*, Sung Vo Dhui**, Jean Bleton**, Paulette Hugon***, Laure Cadot**** et Alain Tchapla**
* Musée, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, 7 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort cedex. Adel : cdegueurce@vet-alfort.fr.
** LETIAM, IUT de l’Université Paris XI, Plateau du Moulon, 91400 Orsay.
*** Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments Historiques, 29 rue de Paris, 77420 Champs-sur-Marne.
**** Restauratrice, Paris. Adel : laure_cadot@yahoo.fr.
Communication présentée le 16 février 2008.

A two part overview of the techniques used by Honoré Fragonard to create and preserve (mainly against the insects) cut-away anatomical figures (“écorchés”) of animals or humans. The first part summarise the techniques preparing the dry anatomical specimens at that time, according to contemporary bibliographical data: selection and preparation of the bodies, then injection of the various organs and tissues (e.g: muscles, nerves, lymph and blood vessels, placenta etc.). The second one gives detailed information on the techniques used by Fragonard to create his “écorchés”: selection of the subjects, highlighting the various organs and tissues, mummification, drying and varnishing. This new information was obtained after a complete chemical analysis of the products that can still be collected from the “écorchés” in the Alfort Musée.

Bull.Soc.Hist.Méd.Sci.Vét., 2008, 8 : 40-57