Giovanni Manzolini Giovanni Manzolini Giovanni Manzolini (1700-1755) was a Bolognese artist, an expert maker of wax anatomical models and a professor of anatomy at the University of Bologna. His wife Anna Morandi Manzolini also became a well-known maker of wax anatomical models. Giovanni Manzolini was born in 1700 in Bologna, the son of a shoemaker. As a young man he helped his father in his trade. In 1736 he married Anna Morandi (1716-1774), whom he had known since childhood. His wife had been trained as an artist. They were to have six children before 1755, although four died before reaching adulthood. Deciding
Anna Morandi Manzolini as well as other royal courts. It became her major turning point in her life. In order to learn anatomy, she had to dissect cadavers, which was extremely difficult for her, but she overcame her fears. Giovanni Manzolini was so encouraged by her and her accomplishments that he again returned to his work. They were recognized as a team by many artists, intellectuals, and anatomists in Europe. After her husband's death, she was appointed Lecturer in Anatomy in her own name by the Institute of Bologna. Anna partnered with her husband, and then surpassed him in skill after his death