But they do it in different ways. Science attempts to solve the riddle of life, of human beings, by means of abstract models and terms addressed to human intellect, striving to raise people's consciousness about themselves. So, when von Hagens cites Goethe's passionate interest in the human body, his actual point of reference is the great German writer's passion for the human body in all its subtleties and details. Aesthetics must be searched for and found in the human body itself. Insight into the human body and its anatomy provided Goethe and other artists with a greater understanding of human beings and their inner, functional lives.
Plastination is primarily the work of a highly skilled craftsman.
They are then plastinated and arranged for the exhibit. In the case of other plastinates, the skin, a leg, an arm, the head, etc., have to be removed with professional skill. This is definitely work that requires an expert. If anything, von Hagens' plastinates are reminiscent of the work of British artist Damien Hirst, who places sharks, other marine creatures, cows' heads and sliced pigs in formaldehyde, then arranges them. In the foreground of the painting there is a woman standing on stilts with drawers in her legs and torso.