Petrus Koning
On loan from the Utrecht University Museum

Petrus Koning was a perfectly ordinary young man from Utrecht, who in the nineteenth century did all kinds of odd jobs for Jan Bleuland, professor of anatomy at the University of Utrecht. In those days instruction in anatomy was based on cadavers and specimens preserved in formaldehyde. However, cadavers were difficult to obtain and difficult to preserve. Professor Suerma asked Koning to make a wax model like the Florentine model that was exhibited in Utrecht in 1816. He tried his utmost to follow the models he used as closely as possible. He represented every pimple, birthmark or other imperfection. Consequently Petrus Koning's models are very realistic.