Franz Josef Steger, after models by Wilhelm His, ca. 1900.

FRANZ JOZEF STEGER (1845-1938), after models by WILHELM HIS (1831-1904).
Anatomical model, ca.1900
Polychrome plaster.
It has slight losses of polychrome and small faults without affecting the overall reading of the piece.
Maintains all its main elements and its removable functionality (removable organs).
Measurements: 62 x 31 x 23 cm.

Interesting anatomical model of a detachable human torso, made in polychrome plaster with remarkable scientific precision. The piece presents the internal organs -lungs, liver, digestive system and vascular system- reproduced in detail and conceived to be extracted individually, which shows its didactic function. The polychromy, applied with naturalistic criteria, reinforces the anatomical reading and facilitates the identification of the different structures, in line with the pedagogical models used in universities and medical schools in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This type of model is linked to the Germanic tradition of anatomical teaching, in which the Swiss anatomist Wilhelm His, a pioneer in modern embryology and in the scientific representation of the human body, stood out. Franz Josef Steger, active as a modeler, collaborated in the three-dimensional materialization of these studies, contributing to the dissemination of medical knowledge through pieces of great technical quality. Works such as this one not only have scientific value, but also historical value, reflecting the advances in the teaching of anatomy in Central Europe at the time.