DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18549#0017
ART OF DESIGNING.
9
The Knowledge of Anatomy is the Balis of Defign.
The truth of this affertion is clearly proved by Monf. Du Piles, who, in his Principles of Paint-
ing, fays, * As it is in vain to defire to profit by a bare fight of fine things, if we do not well
* conceive them; fo it is impoflible thoroughly to underftand the beauty of the antique, any
* more than truth in nature, without the help of anatomy. We may, indeed, by feeing and
* defigning the antique, acquire a certain greatnefs of defign : and, in the main, get a practice
4 tending to good tafte and delicacy ; but thefe advantages, if void of knowledge and principles,
4 can only dazzle the fpectator by a fpccious fhew, and by ill-placed remembrances of things. A
* man may be in raptures on feeing the fine works of antiquity, and yet be far from knowing
4 the genuine fource of thofe beauties which he admires; at leaft, if he be ignorant of that
4 fundamental part of defign, anatomy.
4 If then anatomy be the bafis of defign, and enables us to difcover the beauties of the
< antique, I cannot but obferve, that the knowledge of fo much of it as the painter and fculp-
4 tor require, is eafily retained ; and that the neglect of this attainment proceeds only from its
< being thought to lead towards drinefs of defign, and pedantry of manner.
* Anatomy is a knowledge of the parts of the human body; but to painters that only which
4 relates to the bones, and the principal mufcles which cover them, is needful.
* Nature has furnifhed us with bones for the folidity of the body, and ftrength of the mem-
4 bers: to them fhe has fixed the mufcles, as exterior agents^ to draw them whither fhe pleafes :
* the bones determine the meafures of length, and the mufcles thofe of bignefs in the parts of
« nature ; at leaft, it is the office of the mufcles to fettle the form and exact nefs of outlines.
4 'Tis indifpenfably necefTary to be well acquainted with the forms and joints of the bones, becaufe
4 motion often alters their meafures; and likewife to underftand the fituation and office of the muf-
4 cles, fince the moft ftriking truth in defign depends upon them.
4 The bones themfelves are motionlefs, and ftir only by the help of the mufcles. The mufcles
* have their origins and infertions: by their origins they are faftened to a bone, which they were
* never intended to ftir; and by their infertions to another bone, which they draw when they pleafe
4 towards their origins.
4 Every mufcle has its oppofite mufcle ; when one ads the other yields, like well-buckets, one of
4 which defcends as the other comes up : the acting mufcle fwells, and contracts next to its origin ;
4 the other that obeys, dilates, and relaxes.
4 The largeft bones, which are moved with the greateft difficulty, are covered with the largeft
4 mufcles; thefe are often aided by others, which are defigned for the fame office, and thereby
* increafe the force of motion and make the part more apparent.
4 We often obferve, in the naked parts of antique figures, and even in nature itfelf, certain fwells,
4 the reafon of which we cannot difcover, without confidering the fituation and office of the mufcle
4 which is the caufe of them. Put thofe who are fkilful in anatomy, fee all in feeing a part, and
4 know how to remove from the eye what the fkin and fat feem to conceal, and what is hid to thofe
* who are ignorant of this fcience.'
As the knowledge of anatomy is abfolutely necefTary for the attainment of perfection in defign,
a very particular attention to the examples of the bones and mufcles in Plates VI, VII, VIII,
and IX, is recommended.
When the ftudent has acquired a tolerable habit of defigning, and alfo made himfelf equally
converfant with the bones and mufcles, it will be found of the utmoft advantage, in drawing the
human body, to fketch out in the firft place the ofteology, or fkeleton of the figure, in its pro-
per proportion, and in the attitude required; which may be done either from a print, painting,
or nature itfelf: the next operation will be to delineate the proper mufcles, marking each dis-
tinctly in its place in a bold manner; after which the figure will probably appear over-charged
with mufcles. And now it will be of the utmoft importance to recollect the idea of the waving
line, which is defcribed in Plate I. Fig. X. for it will be only by a thorough comprehenfion oi
the ufe of that line that the drawing will appear to be well or ill executed, when finifhed : the
fkilful in anatomy know, that where the infertions of the mufcles appear too hard and over-
charged, and the hollows too deep, which is always the cafe in a prepared mufcular figure, that
nature has wifely contrived to remedy the defect and fill up thofe vacancies, by placing therein
certain quantities of fat, which foftens the harfhnels and inequality of the lines, and produces that
D inexpreflible
9
The Knowledge of Anatomy is the Balis of Defign.
The truth of this affertion is clearly proved by Monf. Du Piles, who, in his Principles of Paint-
ing, fays, * As it is in vain to defire to profit by a bare fight of fine things, if we do not well
* conceive them; fo it is impoflible thoroughly to underftand the beauty of the antique, any
* more than truth in nature, without the help of anatomy. We may, indeed, by feeing and
* defigning the antique, acquire a certain greatnefs of defign : and, in the main, get a practice
4 tending to good tafte and delicacy ; but thefe advantages, if void of knowledge and principles,
4 can only dazzle the fpectator by a fpccious fhew, and by ill-placed remembrances of things. A
* man may be in raptures on feeing the fine works of antiquity, and yet be far from knowing
4 the genuine fource of thofe beauties which he admires; at leaft, if he be ignorant of that
4 fundamental part of defign, anatomy.
4 If then anatomy be the bafis of defign, and enables us to difcover the beauties of the
< antique, I cannot but obferve, that the knowledge of fo much of it as the painter and fculp-
4 tor require, is eafily retained ; and that the neglect of this attainment proceeds only from its
< being thought to lead towards drinefs of defign, and pedantry of manner.
* Anatomy is a knowledge of the parts of the human body; but to painters that only which
4 relates to the bones, and the principal mufcles which cover them, is needful.
* Nature has furnifhed us with bones for the folidity of the body, and ftrength of the mem-
4 bers: to them fhe has fixed the mufcles, as exterior agents^ to draw them whither fhe pleafes :
* the bones determine the meafures of length, and the mufcles thofe of bignefs in the parts of
« nature ; at leaft, it is the office of the mufcles to fettle the form and exact nefs of outlines.
4 'Tis indifpenfably necefTary to be well acquainted with the forms and joints of the bones, becaufe
4 motion often alters their meafures; and likewife to underftand the fituation and office of the muf-
4 cles, fince the moft ftriking truth in defign depends upon them.
4 The bones themfelves are motionlefs, and ftir only by the help of the mufcles. The mufcles
* have their origins and infertions: by their origins they are faftened to a bone, which they were
* never intended to ftir; and by their infertions to another bone, which they draw when they pleafe
4 towards their origins.
4 Every mufcle has its oppofite mufcle ; when one ads the other yields, like well-buckets, one of
4 which defcends as the other comes up : the acting mufcle fwells, and contracts next to its origin ;
4 the other that obeys, dilates, and relaxes.
4 The largeft bones, which are moved with the greateft difficulty, are covered with the largeft
4 mufcles; thefe are often aided by others, which are defigned for the fame office, and thereby
* increafe the force of motion and make the part more apparent.
4 We often obferve, in the naked parts of antique figures, and even in nature itfelf, certain fwells,
4 the reafon of which we cannot difcover, without confidering the fituation and office of the mufcle
4 which is the caufe of them. Put thofe who are fkilful in anatomy, fee all in feeing a part, and
4 know how to remove from the eye what the fkin and fat feem to conceal, and what is hid to thofe
* who are ignorant of this fcience.'
As the knowledge of anatomy is abfolutely necefTary for the attainment of perfection in defign,
a very particular attention to the examples of the bones and mufcles in Plates VI, VII, VIII,
and IX, is recommended.
When the ftudent has acquired a tolerable habit of defigning, and alfo made himfelf equally
converfant with the bones and mufcles, it will be found of the utmoft advantage, in drawing the
human body, to fketch out in the firft place the ofteology, or fkeleton of the figure, in its pro-
per proportion, and in the attitude required; which may be done either from a print, painting,
or nature itfelf: the next operation will be to delineate the proper mufcles, marking each dis-
tinctly in its place in a bold manner; after which the figure will probably appear over-charged
with mufcles. And now it will be of the utmoft importance to recollect the idea of the waving
line, which is defcribed in Plate I. Fig. X. for it will be only by a thorough comprehenfion oi
the ufe of that line that the drawing will appear to be well or ill executed, when finifhed : the
fkilful in anatomy know, that where the infertions of the mufcles appear too hard and over-
charged, and the hollows too deep, which is always the cafe in a prepared mufcular figure, that
nature has wifely contrived to remedy the defect and fill up thofe vacancies, by placing therein
certain quantities of fat, which foftens the harfhnels and inequality of the lines, and produces that
D inexpreflible