A handbook of anatomy for art students / by Arthur Thomson.

  • Thomson, Arthur, 1858-1935.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A handbook of anatomy for art students / by Arthur Thomson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    551/594 (page 387)
    The main difficulty which has always presented itself in this connexion is the unit of comparison which is the best to adopt. For draughtsmen who are not constructing human figures on geometrical principles with rule and compass it is important that the unit employed should be easily compared with the rest of the figure. The head, face, hand, foot, and middle finger have all been selected by different artists and anatomists for this purpose. The history of the subject is by no means uninteresting, and should the reader desire to extend his knowledge farther in this direction he may consult with advantage a work entitled Proportions of the Body^, in which he will find a short account of the more important facts. The scheme proposed by Dr. Paul Richer in his admirable treatise on Artistic Anatomy ^ seems by far the best. It is not too elaborate, and is admirably adapted to serve as a guide to the draughtsman. Dr. Richer s method is based on that of Cousin, in which the head is taken as the unit of comparison. This corresponds to the length between two horizontal lines, the one passing on a level with the top of the head, the other with the point of the chin. The height of the figure is equal to 7^ heads. This corresponds to the proportion of the head to height in the Antinous. The Gladiator and the Farnese Hercules measure 8 heads^ as also the Venus of Milo. The tendency in the antique is to keep the head small in proportion to the figure. In this way a sense of height and dignity is attained. From the chin to the fork measures 3 heads, distributed as follows. From the chin to about the level of the ^ Proportions of the Body, by Prof. B. C. A. Windle. BailUere, Tindall, & Cox, London, 1892. ^ Anaiomie Artistique, by Dr. Paul Richer. E. Plon, Nourrit, et Cie., Paris, 1890. C C 2