A treatise on painting . ths of prelciibed for ,^ . , . r ^i j c ^ tb« breadths of Hgurcs ; It being one of u\z wonders oi nature, isuies, that in all her infinite productions, we never find any one, of what kind foever, precifely like another. You, therefore, whofe bufinef>? it is to imitate nature, confider that variety which flic fets before your eyes ; and learn, from her, to diverfify your contours; avoiding wiihal any thing monftrous and shocking, as legs too long, bodies too fliort, ft rait brcafts, long arms, and the like; and indulging your- fclt chiefly in the joncJures and thickn
A treatise on painting . ths of prelciibed for ,^ . , . r ^i j c ^ tb« breadths of Hgurcs ; It being one of u\z wonders oi nature, isuies, that in all her infinite productions, we never find any one, of what kind foever, precifely like another. You, therefore, whofe bufinef>? it is to imitate nature, confider that variety which flic fets before your eyes ; and learn, from her, to diverfify your contours; avoiding wiihal any thing monftrous and shocking, as legs too long, bodies too fliort, ft rait brcafts, long arms, and the like; and indulging your- fclt chiefly in the joncJures and thickneffcs of members ; it being in thefe, that nature herfeif feems to aflcd: ihe greateft variety. Thenrmior,f;er A painter is indifpenfibly obliged to be ac- h°ft^fT l^^^^*^ with c;yf<f(9%jyy that is, with the feve- •ut. ral bones fcrving as props to bear up the flefli, wherewith they are covered; and with theyW- iares^ which occafion the limbs, in bending, to cidar^c and diminiili j for the length of the arm, \4hc^. BY LEONARDO DA VINCI. lOJ ivhen extended, is not equal to that of the famearm, when contrac5ted ; it always lofmg or gain-ing an eighth part of its nicafure, as it isflrctched out or drawn in. This fnorteningandlengthening of the arm is owing to the bonebetween the llioulder and the elbow; which,withdrawing out of its cavity when the elbowis bent into an acute angle, j^as you fee in thefigure A Z>,] adds to the length of that part ofthe arm J and this addition will be always thegreater,as the angle at the elbow is more acute;and on the contrary, as the angle at the elbowgrows more obtufe, this part of the arm muftbecome Tnorter. All the parts of an animal mufi: bear a fuit- Thep<irtsofanablenefs and conformity to the whole: thus maTeluitabiewhere the whole animal is thick and Ihort, each icne auoiher,member in particular mull be fo too; where tall and llcnder, the members mull: be tall and(lender likewifc; and where it is of an ordinarymake, the pa
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Keywords: ., booksubjectpainters, booksubjectpainting, booksubjectperspective
