DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19388#0028
20 EXPLANATION OF THE GEOMETRICAL FIGURES
precept had suffered the fate of many other excellent traditional rules before it came
to Lomazzo, who transcribed it as it was delivered to him, contenting himself with the
authority of the master, and the ambiguity of the precept itself. It is perhaps more
rational to believe, that Michael Angelo endeavoured to persuade his pupil to ac-
custom himself to draw a figure or line which was pyramidal, serpentine, and increas-
ing in the proportion of one, two, and three, as a sure means of acquiring a habit of de-
signing the outlines of the human body in a masterly manner, and thereby as the
Author of the Analysis terms it, always expressing the lines of beauty and grace;
Lomazzo proceeds to explain the foregoing precept thus : " In which precept (in mine
opinion) the whole mysterie of the arte consisteth. For the greatest grace and life
that a picture can have is, that it expresse motion, which the painters call the spirile
of a picture: nowe there is no forme so fitte to expresse this motion, as that of the
flame of fire; which, according to Aristotle and the other philosophers, is an elemente
most active of all others; because the form of the flame thereof is most apt for
motion, for it hath a conus or sharpe pointe, wherewith it seemeth to divide the aire,
that so it may ascende to his proper sphere. So that a picture having this forme
will be most beautiful.
:t Now this is to be understood after two sortes; either that the conns of the
pyramis be placed upwardes, and the base downwardes, as in the tier: or else contrary
wise with the base upwardes, and the conus downwardes. In the first it expresseth the
width and largenesse of a picture about the legges and garmentes below: shewing it
slender above pyramidall wise, by discovering one shoulder and hiding the other,
which is shortened by the turning of the body, la the seconde, it sheweth the arms
biggest in the upper partes; by representing either both the shoulders, or both the
armes, shewing one legge, and hiding the other, or both of them after one sorte, as
the skilful painter shall judge fittest for his purpose. So that his (Michael Angelo's)
meaning is,that it should resemble the forme of the letter S placed right, or else turn-
ed the wronge way, as g; because then it hath this beauty. Neither ought he only
to observe this forme in the whole body, but even in every part; so that in the legge
when a muscle is raysed outwardes on the one side, that which answereth directly on
the contrary side must be drawn in and hid (as may be seene in the life.)
" The last parte of Michael Angelo his observation was, that a picture ought to
be multiplied by one, two, and three. And herein consisteth the chiefest skill of that
proportion whereof I mean to intreate more at large in this booke. For the diame-
ter of the biggest place, betweene the knee and the foote is double to the least, and
the largest part of the thigh triple."
In the observations on the Art of Painting of Du Fresnoy,f it is said, " That
the outlines, give not only a grace to the parts, but also to the whole body, as we see
in the Antinous, Venus de Medicis, and others." And further it is said, K Besides,
See Dryden's Translation of Du Fresnoy's Art of Painting, p. 125.
precept had suffered the fate of many other excellent traditional rules before it came
to Lomazzo, who transcribed it as it was delivered to him, contenting himself with the
authority of the master, and the ambiguity of the precept itself. It is perhaps more
rational to believe, that Michael Angelo endeavoured to persuade his pupil to ac-
custom himself to draw a figure or line which was pyramidal, serpentine, and increas-
ing in the proportion of one, two, and three, as a sure means of acquiring a habit of de-
signing the outlines of the human body in a masterly manner, and thereby as the
Author of the Analysis terms it, always expressing the lines of beauty and grace;
Lomazzo proceeds to explain the foregoing precept thus : " In which precept (in mine
opinion) the whole mysterie of the arte consisteth. For the greatest grace and life
that a picture can have is, that it expresse motion, which the painters call the spirile
of a picture: nowe there is no forme so fitte to expresse this motion, as that of the
flame of fire; which, according to Aristotle and the other philosophers, is an elemente
most active of all others; because the form of the flame thereof is most apt for
motion, for it hath a conus or sharpe pointe, wherewith it seemeth to divide the aire,
that so it may ascende to his proper sphere. So that a picture having this forme
will be most beautiful.
:t Now this is to be understood after two sortes; either that the conns of the
pyramis be placed upwardes, and the base downwardes, as in the tier: or else contrary
wise with the base upwardes, and the conus downwardes. In the first it expresseth the
width and largenesse of a picture about the legges and garmentes below: shewing it
slender above pyramidall wise, by discovering one shoulder and hiding the other,
which is shortened by the turning of the body, la the seconde, it sheweth the arms
biggest in the upper partes; by representing either both the shoulders, or both the
armes, shewing one legge, and hiding the other, or both of them after one sorte, as
the skilful painter shall judge fittest for his purpose. So that his (Michael Angelo's)
meaning is,that it should resemble the forme of the letter S placed right, or else turn-
ed the wronge way, as g; because then it hath this beauty. Neither ought he only
to observe this forme in the whole body, but even in every part; so that in the legge
when a muscle is raysed outwardes on the one side, that which answereth directly on
the contrary side must be drawn in and hid (as may be seene in the life.)
" The last parte of Michael Angelo his observation was, that a picture ought to
be multiplied by one, two, and three. And herein consisteth the chiefest skill of that
proportion whereof I mean to intreate more at large in this booke. For the diame-
ter of the biggest place, betweene the knee and the foote is double to the least, and
the largest part of the thigh triple."
In the observations on the Art of Painting of Du Fresnoy,f it is said, " That
the outlines, give not only a grace to the parts, but also to the whole body, as we see
in the Antinous, Venus de Medicis, and others." And further it is said, K Besides,
See Dryden's Translation of Du Fresnoy's Art of Painting, p. 125.