Wax model of a woman’s face with leprosy
- Maker: Jules Pierre François Baretta
- Date: 2nd half of the 19th century
- Location: Paris, France
- Collection: History of Medicine
Who was Jules Baretta?
Jules Baretta (1834-1923) is famous worldwide for his detailed models of skin conditions. He made most of them for the French dermatologist Charles Lallier, who worked at the Hôpital Saint Louis in Paris. Baretta made more than 2000 wax models based on lessons, his own observations and demonstrations by patients.
Which skin disease is this?
The woman whose face Baretta used as a basis for this wax model was suffering from a form of lepromatous leprosy. The skin lesions have given her face its lion-like shape, which is why it is also called leonine facies.
How did Baretta make his dermatological wax models?
Baretta started by making a plaster cast of the body part affected by the skin disease. He then poured liquid wax into the cast (a mixture of beeswax and resin from the tropical gutta-percha tree). Once the wax had set, he removed the cast. Then the ‘artistic’ work began. Baretta modelled every detail by hand and gave the model a ‘natural’ appearance by adding real hair, glass eyes and very precise paintwork.
What were these models used for?
Naturalistic wax models of skin diseases became popular in medical education in the second half of the 19th century. Baretta also made models for Señor Roca’s anatomical cabinet in Barcelona. His collection, that was also exhibited at fairgrounds and circuses, was intended to inform visitors about ‘risky sexual or social practices’. From 1940 onwards, with colour photography improving in quality, the wax models lost their purpose and were no longer held in such high esteem.
