Marie Marguerite Bihéron facts for kids

Marie Marguerite Bihéron (born November 17, 1719 – died June 18, 1795) was a talented French artist and scientist. She was famous for her amazing medical drawings and lifelike wax figure models of the human body. She helped people learn about anatomy, which is the study of the body's structure.

Her Life and Work

Marie Marguerite Bihéron was born in France in 1719. Her father was an apothecary, which was like a pharmacist who also prepared medicines. She studied drawing at the Jardin du Roi, a famous garden in Paris. She also learned from Madeleine Basseporte, another artist known for her anatomical drawings.

Creating Lifelike Models

To study the human body, Bihéron needed real bodies. It was hard to get them, and they would quickly decay. So, her teacher Basseporte suggested she try making models. Bihéron became very skilled at creating anatomical wax models. These models were so good that famous doctors like Villoisin and scholars like Jussieu were very impressed.

In 1759, a scientist named Jean Morand invited her to show her work to the Academie Royale des Sciences. She was invited again in 1770. This time, she showed an amazing model of a pregnant woman. It was very detailed and looked real, with parts that could move and even tiny fetuses. In 1771, she presented her models a third time to the Academie Royale. This time, the visiting crown prince of Sweden, Gustavus of Sweden, saw her work.

International Fame

Bihéron's models became famous around the world. People loved them because they were very accurate and looked so real. She also had a secret way of making wax models that did not melt easily.

A Swedish traveler named Jakob Jonas Björnståhl wrote to the famous scientist Carl Linnaeus about her work. He said that Bihéron made body models that were "absolutely lifelike" and did not break. He also mentioned that she didn't share her secret material, but it seemed like a special wax mix. All the parts of her models were correctly labeled in Latin and Greek. She had worked on this art for over 20 years. Even the King of Denmark, Christian VII, bought her models.

Teaching and Selling Her Art

The Academie Royale did not fully support women artists. So, Bihéron had to earn money by showing and selling her models. She also taught anatomy. She moved to England because women were not allowed to teach anatomy in France.

One of her students was John Hunter, a Scottish doctor who made big improvements in surgery. Bihéron's anatomy lessons were very important for his studies. Some of the pictures in his books might even have been drawn by Bihéron. The famous French writer Diderot also studied anatomy with her.

Bihéron sold her models to important people. The King of Denmark was one customer, and Empress Catherine II of Russia was another. Empress Catherine bought Bihéron's complete set of anatomical models.

In 1761, Bihéron held an exhibition. She advertised it with a pamphlet called "Artificial Anatomy." She promised to show the body with "greatest precision," including internal organs that could be moved. People could visit her home to see the exhibition, which started on May 13, 1761, and continued for some time.

See also

In Spanish: Marie Marguerite Bihéron para niños