This French Surgeon Was Called A Madmen For What He Did To Human Corpses

Some might consider Honoré Fragonard to be a French artist with works that belong in the Louvre. Others say he was simply a madman with a twisted imagination. Regardless of your opinion on his work, you can’t deny that Fragonard did something decidedly different. His collection of “écorchés,” (flayed figures) continues to intrigue and horrify visitors at his museum in Paris.

Fragonard began his career as a licensed surgeon and veterinarian in the mid-1700s.

The exhibits were carefully flayed human and animals bodies.

Fragonard would dissect the bodies, preserve them through an unknown means, and then meticulously pose them.

In 1765, Fragonard moved to the newly-opened veterinary school in Paris. He brought his odd hobby with him.

Not everyone enjoyed Fragonard’s disturbing hobby.

He was expelled in 1771 from the veterinary school amid rumors that he was a madman.

While this would have destroyed the confidence of most people, Fragonard continued on with his morbid work.

Fragonard’s works numbered in the thousands. Only 21 pieces remain today. They are all housed and on display at the Musée Fragonard d’Alfort in Paris.

(via New York Times)

Despite their shocking nature, there is something disturbingly beautiful about these creations. I think I’ll be taking a trip to Paris for my next super creepy vacation.

This French Surgeon Was Called A Madmen For What He Did To Human Corpses