A representation of the human body with the skin stripped away to show the muscles and anatomical structures underneath, used in art and medicine.
From French 'écorché' (flayed), the past participle of 'écorcher' (to strip or flay). Renaissance and later artists created these studies to understand human anatomy for more accurate artistic depiction.
Renaissance artists like Michelangelo studied écorchés—detailed drawings and sculptures showing muscles under skin—because understanding what's underneath made them better at drawing the outside. Many famous anatomical drawings in museums are écorchés.
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