DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19751#0139
ON- FIGURE DRAWING.
'85
years old), whose parents were desirous that he should
study the figure, this dislike was invincible; I therefore
made a number of copies from the Apollo, the Gladia-
tor, Hercules, fyc., on rather a small scale, the figures
being about six inches high, and placed in different atti-
tudes. I also gave each of them appropriate dresses,
representing them as fitting tight to the body and limbs,
so that the form might be seen as well as if they were
without them ; to each also I gave a character best
suited to their attitudes, making an archer of the Apollo,
a soldier of the Gladiator, 8$c. fyc. With these my pupil
was wonderfully delighted, and copied them several
times over, for the archers green jacket and the red coat
of the soldier excited an interest which could never have
been caused by the beautiful proportions of the Apollo
Belvidere, and the Gladiator. By thus giving him draw-
ings from plaster, each disguised in modem dresses, I led
him through the whole range of antique figures, and
made him well acquainted with their proportions long
before he had the least idea of the deception (if it merit
the name) which had been practised upon him.
The study of all the anatomy which is required in
drawing, and which consists of nothing more than a capa-
bility of drawing the skeleton and the external muscles,
together with a knowledge of the uses of the latter, is
so trifling, that I should advise every person to acquire
it who wishes to draw the figure correctly. A variety
of works have been published for this purpose, some of
which may be obtained at a very moderate expense.
For those who wish to study the figure merely for the
'85
years old), whose parents were desirous that he should
study the figure, this dislike was invincible; I therefore
made a number of copies from the Apollo, the Gladia-
tor, Hercules, fyc., on rather a small scale, the figures
being about six inches high, and placed in different atti-
tudes. I also gave each of them appropriate dresses,
representing them as fitting tight to the body and limbs,
so that the form might be seen as well as if they were
without them ; to each also I gave a character best
suited to their attitudes, making an archer of the Apollo,
a soldier of the Gladiator, 8$c. fyc. With these my pupil
was wonderfully delighted, and copied them several
times over, for the archers green jacket and the red coat
of the soldier excited an interest which could never have
been caused by the beautiful proportions of the Apollo
Belvidere, and the Gladiator. By thus giving him draw-
ings from plaster, each disguised in modem dresses, I led
him through the whole range of antique figures, and
made him well acquainted with their proportions long
before he had the least idea of the deception (if it merit
the name) which had been practised upon him.
The study of all the anatomy which is required in
drawing, and which consists of nothing more than a capa-
bility of drawing the skeleton and the external muscles,
together with a knowledge of the uses of the latter, is
so trifling, that I should advise every person to acquire
it who wishes to draw the figure correctly. A variety
of works have been published for this purpose, some of
which may be obtained at a very moderate expense.
For those who wish to study the figure merely for the