The Third Part

Problem 1

Sculptors and painters, both ancient and modern, have not fully established the perfection of their art, especially when the description of the human body's proportions is limited to eight heads, borrowing from nature the divine destiny of its form. The renowned painter Albrecht Dürer, in his first book, described the human body with such precision that he indicated the female could share some similar structural features with the male, with the exception that man's limbs are more delicate and the shoulders broader.

To measure proportions correctly, you must draw a perpendicular line from the top of the head to the sole of the foot, which we will illustrate as an example: A to B marks the head, C the space of the stomach, E the midpoint of the trunk, G the knees, H the lower leg, and I the soles of the feet. We will now examine how this is categorized.

The Letter K to h, shows three modules wide at the nose and cheeks. L describes a head composed of four sizeable noses, while M spans a head width of 6, with the width of N and the size of the body O, while P consists of 3 modules and small notches. The ankle Q has as much mass as the heel R, which has the same measurement in foot size, S for width and pleasure, with one-quarter of this in tea for the hand, T at three modules & end point. The hand U is its ultimate point.

I think these are the basics for proportions that we will discuss in the book’s beauty and perfection.

Translation Notes

- 'Modules' refers to a unit of measurement used in art to maintain proportion and balance. 'Tea' here is likely a mistranslation or metaphorical reference not directly translatable from the original meaning.