The Human Form as Art: Contours, Proportions, and Aesthetic Ideals
Through the ages, the human form has been featured greatly in the artistic expression of artists and sculptors. In the fifth century BC, the Greek sculptor Polykleitos created Doryphorus, the bronze sculpture that exemplifies the perfectly harmonious and
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The Human Form as Art: Contours, Proportions, and Aesthetic Ideals
Introduction Through the ages, the human form has been featured greatly in the artistic expression of artists and sculptors. In the fifth century BC, the Greek sculptor Polykleitos created Doryphorus, the bronze sculpture that exemplifies the perfectly harmonious and balanced proportions of the human body (Fig. 1.1). This muscular nude male exhibits athletic readiness in classic “contrapposto,” or counterpose, where the arms and shoulders twist off axis to the legs and hips. There is minimal body fat and excellent muscular definition. His contemporary, Phidias, is regarded as one of the greatest sculptors of Classical Greece. Phidias’ colossal chryselephantine and gold statue of Zeus at Olympia was regarded as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. No sculptor could carve such captivating and convincing works of art without having accurate knowledge of the human anatomy. The skin and subcutaneous fat is merely draped over the anatomical wonders beneath. If an artist or sculptor does not know all of the muscles, tendons, and bony landmarks, how can he display them through the skin in his masterpiece? He must also understand their functions and how they change with motion: a muscular body in action is characterized by concavities, convexities, and shadows that instantly portray the state of health. For millennia, the work of Claudius Galen dominated the understanding of anatomy in Europe. Galen (AD 129–201) dissected pigs and
Fig. 1.1 The sculpture Doryphorus, detailing the male form in classic “contrapposto” (Courtesy of Bridgeman Art)
A.E. Hoyos, P.M. Prendergast, High Definition Body Sculpting, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-54891-8_1, © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
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The Human Form as Art: Contours, Proportions, and Aesthetic Ideals
primates and demonstrated his findings in numerous texts and treatises. His teachings remained uncontested until 1543, when the influential work of Flemish anatomist Andreas Vesalius was published, entitled De Humani Corporis Fabrica.
Art and Anatomy The merging of art and anatomy is perhaps most evident and glorious in the works of Leonardo da Vinci. His anatomical manuscripts are filled with detailed and intricate drawings
Fig. 1.2 An example of Leonardo da Vinci’s manuscript showing human anatomy and proportions (Courtesy of Bridgeman Art)
that elegantly reveal muscular anatomy, symmetry, and human proportions (Fig. 1.2). His knowledge of anatomy was derived from his own independent dissections and research and is elegantly and beautifully portrayed in many of his renowned paintings. Michelangelo similarly celebrated human physicality through his work as an artist and sculptor. David represents one of the most recognized sculptures of the Renaissance and showcases the human body in all its strength, athleticism, and youthful beauty (Fig. 1.3). The muscular definition of deltoid, biceps, pectoralis major, rectus abdominis, and
Art and Anatomy
Fig. 1.3 Michelangelo’s David
external oblique
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