{"title":"Books by Joanna Ebenstein","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780500252185","title":"The Anatomical Venus","description":"Beneath the original Venetian glass and rosewood case at La Specola in Florence lies Clemente Susini’s  Anatomical Venus (c. 1790), a perfect object whose luxuriously bizarre existence challenges belief. It – or, better, she – was conceived of as a means to teach human anatomy without need for constant dissection, which was messy,  ethically fraught and subject to quick decay. This life-sized wax woman is adorned with glass eyes and human hair and can be dismembered into dozens of parts revealing, at the final remove, a beatific foetus curled in her womb. Sister models soon appeared throughout Europe, where they not only instructed the specialist students, but also  delighted the general public.      Deftly crafted dissectable female wax models and slashed beauties of the world’s anatomy museums and fairgrounds of the 18th and 19th centuries take centre stage in this disquieting volume. Since their creation in late 18th-century Florence, these wax women have seduced, intrigued and amazed. Today, they also confound, troubling the  edges of our neat categorical divides: life and death, science and art, body and soul, effigy and pedagogy, spectacle and education, kitsch and art. Incisive commentary and captivating imagery reveal the evolution of these enigmatic sculptures from wax effigy to fetish figure and the embodiment of the uncanny.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56290365833589,"sku":"9780500252185","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780500252185_9b04b16d-6fa8-4447-9b6b-ee86a526c406.jpg?v=1786013898"},{"product_id":"9781786275714","title":"Anatomica","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"There's a fine line between the horrible and the sublime, and Joanna Ebenstein's \u003ci\u003eAnatomica: The Exquisite and Unsettling Art of Human Anatomy\u003c\/i\u003e walks it.\" \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor centuries, humankind has sought to know itself through an understanding of the body, in sickness and in health, inside and out. This fascination left in its wake a rich body of artworks that demonstrate not only the facts of the human body, but also the ways in which our ideas about the body and its proper representation have changed over time. At times both beautiful and unsettling, illustrated anatomy continues to hold our interest today, and is frequently referenced in popular culture. \u003ci\u003eAnatomica\u003c\/i\u003e brings together some of the most striking, fascinating and bizarre artworks from the the 14th through 20th century, exploring human anatomy in one beautiful volume, with over 250 images.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56305619960181,"sku":"9781786275714","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781786275714_7f9700ac-914a-4690-9623-0cd922869e67.jpg?v=1786026279"},{"product_id":"9781907222269","title":"Cabarets of Death","description":"\u003cb\u003eThree idiosyncratically macabre cabaret-restaurants in Monmartre, each with its own grotesque portrayal of the afterworlds of Hell, Heaven, and Nothingness.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom 1892 until 1954, three cabaret-restaurants in the Montmartre district of Paris captivated tourists with their grotesque portrayals of death in the afterworlds of Hell, Heaven, and Nothingness. Each had specialized cuisines and morbid visual displays with flashes of nudity and shocking optical illusions. These cabarets were considered the most curious and widely featured amusements in the city. Entrepreneurs even hawked graphic postcards of their ironic spectacles and otherworldly interiors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eCabarets of Death\u003c\/i\u003e documents the dinner shows, the character interactions with guests, and the theatrical goings-on in these unique establishments. Presenting original images and drawings from contemporary journals, postcards, tourist brochures, and menus, Mel Gordon leads a tour of these idiosyncratically macabre institutions, and grants us unique access to a form of popular spectacle now gone.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56309037433205,"sku":"9781907222269","price":26.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781907222269_3763dc06-2397-453c-9b76-089bb6963a7f.jpg?v=1786029443"},{"product_id":"the-art-of-fairy-tales","title":"The Art of Fairy Tales","description":"Step into a world where imagination knows no bounds with \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Fairy Tales\u003c\/i\u003e by Joanna Ebenstein. This lavishly illustrated gift book invites readers on a mesmerizing journey through the enchanted realm of fairy tales as interpreted by master artists across centuries.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e From the haunting illustrations of Arthur Rackham to the surrealist visions of Leonora Carrington, Ebenstein curates a stunning collection that showcases the enduring power of these timeless stories. Discover how artists have brought to life beloved characters like Little Red Riding Hood, conjured fearsome monsters and crafted breathtaking wonderlands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ebenstein's insightful commentary illuminates the historical and cultural significance of each piece, revealing how fairy tales continue to captivate and inspire. Whether you're an art lover, a folklore enthusiast or simply someone who cherishes the magic of storytelling, \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Fairy Tales \u003c\/i\u003eoffers a spellbinding exploration of human creativity and imagination.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57536539361653,"sku":"9781399626439","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399626439.jpg?v=1788186558"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-joanna-ebenstein.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}