The Ideal Human Figure?

This page provides a look at the ideal human figure tracing the visual development of the body image in art from Ancient art to the Renaissance.


Venus of Willendorf, ancient stone sculpture


The Venus of Willendorf, ancient stone sculpture, c. 30,000 B.C.E.,
43/8 inches (11.1 cm) high, Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna

Click on the image above for a link to a great web page:
Women in Prehistory - The Venus of Willendorf by Christopher Witcombe




Venus de Milo, Classical Greek sculpture


Venus de Milo, Classical Greek sculpture, c. 150 B.C.E.



Myron's Discus Thrower, Classical Greek sculpture


Myron's Discus Thrower, marble,
Roman copy of the Classical Greek sculpture, c. 400 B.C.E.



Click to see more of Leonardo's drawings


Leonardo da Vinci, Study of Human Proportions according to Vitruvius.
c. 1485-90. Pen and Ink, 13X10". Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice

Here we see Leonardo's interest in applying mathematics to proportional scaling in human anatomy. He positioned the male figure inside a square and a circle. His man's height is equal to the length of the outstretched arms. The groin is at the center of the square. The navel is at the center of the circle.



Recommended External Links

The Figure-drawing Lab
Human Body Proportions using the head as a unit of measure
Ralph Larmann, University of Evansville.

Please return again for more art history pages -- there are so many
great artists and styles for study, that I'll continue to add more all the time.

*Online Art Instructors* - Please feel free to link
to any of my pages for your online discussions and other learning activities.

Return to Online Art Center Homepage