Discover how Madame Tussauds wax statues are made

The Madame Tussauds Museum has been creating copies of famous people for over two hundred years, and these statues are known for their realism. Today, Madame Tussauds is not just a museum, but a famous brand with more than 20 branches around the world.

It is worth noting that all works of art begin with the work of true masters. Before, famous copies were produced by Madame Tussaud herself, a Frenchwoman who gave rise to this art in the 18th century. But today each statue involves the work of a team of experts. While some are dedicated to eye and hair color and others work on makeup, there are those who choose the necessary accessories.

O awesome.club reveals some of the mysteries below and shows how museum employees craft the wax replicas in order to surprise visitors. We also take the opportunity to tell you how the museum started its activities and show you why you need to visit the “Chamber of Horrors” if you take a trip to the British capital.

Marie Tussaud was born in France, but soon after moved to Switzerland with her mother. It was in that country that her career began. Marie’s mother worked in the home of a famous sculptor named Philippe Curtius, and the young woman would become her apprentice.

Marie was only 17 years old when she made her first work: a bust of Voltaire.

The young artist’s fame grew. In 1779, she was invited to visit the court, where she went on to teach the art of sculpture to the king’s sister. However, the lull would not last long. Ten years later, the French Revolution broke out, and Marie was arrested on charges of being a monarchy sympathizer.

She was nearly executed, but was eventually pardoned in exchange for her services. Marie Tussaud was given the task of producing the death masks for the condemned. Her first works at this funeral stage were the reproduction of the faces of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.

As the revolutionaries executed opponents of the new regime, Marie’s collection diversified. Soon she was forced to also make death masks for executed delinquents. There were so many masks that Marie decided to create her first exhibition.

Wax Statues of Executed Assassins: Diereneuk, Barmouth and Dr. Crippen

Wax statue: Madame Tussaud at work

In 1795, Marie married Francis Tussaud, from whom she inherited her famous surname. However, the marriage did not last long, and she eventually moved to Great Britain, where she continued to work on her own collection and organize exhibitions.

The first permanent museum opened its doors when Madame Tussaud was 74 years old. Already at the time, it was so famous that crowds flocked to see the statues. Marie continued to make death masks for serial killers and other famous criminals.

The process is arduous, and the production of a single statue takes three to four months. The work involves 15 artists, and each year the museum receives around 200 new pieces on average.

The first stage of the work is a meeting with the famous person to take action.

Professionals gather more than 250 pieces of information: precise skin tone, eye color, hair structure and color, face shape, etc.

After the measurements, the first stage of the work itself begins: the sculptor makes a prototype in clay, in particular the hair. It is an important part of the process, as it is precisely at this stage that the resemblance to the real person is obtained.

Then a mold is made, which must dry well. This takes approximately one week.

Then the most complicated part of the process begins. The artist, with the help of special oil paints, gives the skin the correct tone. Afterwards, the wax figure gains eyes and teeth. The eye color is always identical to the celebrity’s, while the teeth are created according to molds taken in the first preparation step.

The eyes of the wax statue are made of acrylic resin. Each of these elements is handmade, individually adapted to each person. To make the eyes look more realistic, silk thread is used to draw even the finest blood vessels.

Each pair of eyes takes about 15 hours of work from an artist, but the result is worth it: the wax figures take on an incredibly vivid look.

The next step is the placement of the scalp. Each strand is manually added to make the statue as realistic as possible. This step typically takes a month and a half to complete.

Hair placement on the Lady Gaga statue

The last step is choosing clothes and makeup. In most cases, celebrities provide the museum with pieces from their own wardrobe.

Then the statue gets accessories, makeup and a hairstyle.

Makeup stage on the Queen Elizabeth II statue:

Albert Einstein painting:

The real Sandra Bullock is the one on the right, in the black dress.

Scarlett Johansson is prettier than her statue. The real Scarlett is the one on the right.