MANZOLINI, ANNA MORANDI (21 January 1714–9 July 1774), Italian anatomist, wax modeler, and sculptor who lived and worked in Bologna.
Manzolini and her brother were raised by their mother; the family received support from a local charity that provided assistance to underprivileged women. She studied drawing and sculpture with the artists Giuseppe Pedretti (1694–1788) and Francesco Monti (1685–1798) and married fellow student Giovanni Manzolini in 1740. Giovanni worked in the studio of the anatomical ceroplastician Ercole Lelli until 1746, and upon leaving, the Manzolinis started their own studio to fabricate anatomical wax models for the local university and support the development and practice of the study of anatomy.
Following her husband’s death in 1755, Manzolini worked independently. She developed a new technique of human dissection while experimenting with a new wax compound. Her 250page notebook challenged dominant anatomical theories of the time, and her wax models displayed a diverse range of anatomical parts. In 1756 Manzolini became Professor of Anatomy at the Institute of Bologna, taking over her late husband’s faculty position. She invited students and scholars into her home for anatomical demonstrations, pulling from her experience dissecting over a thousand cadavers. Manzolini’s residence became a renowned center of anatomical learning, attracting visitors from across Europe on the prestigious “Grand Tour.”
In 1760 the Institute awarded Manzolini the title of Modellatrice (sculptor), signaling a shift in her professional identity from anatomist to artist. In the years following, Manzolini became an internationally renowned sculptor, receiving invitations and commissions from royalty in London, Austria, Russia, and Rome. Her wax works transcended the scientific bounds of utility and were appreciated internationally for their aesthetic elements.
Despite Manzolini’s popularity during her lifetime, scholars have only recently begun to evaluate her work’s importance. Two of her wax portrait busts, prominently displayed at the Palazzo Poggi in Bologna, offer intimate glimpses into her life and artistry. One such bust, a self-portrait, captures Manzolini delicately dissecting a human brain. Manzolini’s rose-colored dress and pearls contrast sharply with the gruesome task at hand, challenging conventional notions of gender and profession in the eighteenth century. Caroline Paganussi notes that many contemporary scholars “interpret [the] self-portrait as primarily an assertion of her mastery of dissection and anatomical science, often understating the importance of her formal training as a painter, draughtsman, and sculptor.” An accompanying portrait of Giovanni in a similar pose affirms the notion of the two wax busts as a celebration of the Manzolinis’ accomplishments in anatomical waxworks.
Bologna’s established tradition of supporting educated women was pivotal in Manzolini’s journey. As Paganussi observes, the city’s intellectual landscape, home to an ancient university and numerous academic academies and art institutes, fostered collaborative interactions between artists and scientists. In such an environment Manzolini was able to transcend traditional boundaries. Indeed, as the young noble Marchese Angelelli pondered, her legacy as both an “excellent sculptor and a learned anatomist” defies categorization.