Anatomical Study of Flayed Male Man Anatomy L'ecorche Statue by Houdon 10H

Muscle Laid Bare: The Houdon Ecorche Statue

This Houdon Ecorche statue is the flayed man that taught Europe's artists how muscles work. It stands 10 in H x 4.5 in W x 2.75 in D in resin with a bronze finish.

Jean-Antoine Houdon modeled the original in Rome in 1767 as an anatomical study. This flayed man anatomy figure shows every muscle of the male body in detail.

Product Details

• Material: Resin with a bronze finish
• Dimensions: 10 in H x 4.5 in W x 2.75 in D
• Weight: 1 lb
• Collection: Parastone Museum Collection
• Original: L'Ecorche, Houdon's studio, late 18th century
• Product number: HOU01

A Teaching Tool That Became a Masterpiece

Houdon studied anatomy in Rome thanks to a surgeon. His Ecorche began as a study for a sculpture of Saint John the Baptist.

The French Academy in Rome asked for a plaster cast for teaching. By 1775 its rules required anatomy to be taught from his figure.

Plaster copies soon reached academies in Paris, Toulouse, Bordeaux, and Flanders. Every self-respecting academy in Europe wanted one.

Draw From It Yourself

An anatomical study statue still works as a drawing aid. Turn the Houdon Ecorche statue under a lamp and sketch the shadows on the muscles.

A male anatomy sculpture like this also suits a doctor's office or an artist's desk. See more in our Parastone Museum Replicas and Museum Statues Collection.

Display and Care

At 1 lb, the Houdon Ecorche statue sits easily on a desk or bookshelf. Dust it with a soft dry brush. Keep the bronze finish away from damp air.

Jean-Antoine Houdon in Brief

Houdon lived from 1741 to 1828. He won a scholarship to the French Academy in Rome in 1764. He later carved Voltaire and portraits of Washington and Jefferson, thanks to Benjamin Franklin.

For More Reading from the Web

• Read how the ecorche became the artist's best teaching aid in European academies. The Ecorche - Artists' Things, Getty
• Explore Houdon's other famous subject, George Washington, in the Mount Vernon collection. Jean-Antoine Houdon - Mount Vernon