The Application of Colour Management to a Photographic Record for the Conservation of Scientific Collections: Anatomical Wax Models

Résumé

During the 18th and 19th centuries, collections of anatomical wax models awoke great expectations for various cultural contexts and contributed towards the implementation of a new teaching strategy for the important medical and veterinary schools across Europe. The Complutense University of Madrid has two exceptional collections of this kind, one of human and another of animal anatomy, dating back to the Royal College of Surgery of San Carlos. Before proceeding with the proposed intervention of a cultural object or asset, it is essential to conduct visual tests on these to accurately determine their means of construction and condition. One of the most common tools used for the first visual study is digital photography. This article describes the working procedure employed for the photographic record of each sculpture. An artificial scaled wax model of a horse has been selected as a representative case study. In order to obtain an accurate reproduction of the piece, lighting, photographic record and colour management patterns have been established.