This page discusses the proportions of statues, explaining that the entire statue has a height of 8 heads, which is equal to the length between the farthest points of the fingers when arms are extended horizontally. It further divides the height into 9 facial units and details how each part of the body corresponds to these proportional units. The text includes measurements like the head, face, arm, thigh, leg, and torso, offering a guide for artists in achieving accurate proportions.
Brief Explanation of Proportional Statues
A. The distribution of the height of the entire statue consists of 8 heads in height; and this height is equal to the length between the outermost points of the fingers of the same statue, when both arms are extended horizontally. Thus, this statue touches with its head, feet, and fingers at the farthest limit of an equilateral square, whose height is divided into 8 parts, where the principal parts touch or overlap, as can be seen at a glance.
a. The head is divided into 4 equal parts in its height.
The foot, measured from the heel to the tip of the toes seen from the side, is equal to the height of the head.
B. The entire height of this same statue is also divided into 9 faces.
b. The face consists of 4 parts of the head.
c. The arm, to the ends of the fingers, consists of 4 faces.
d. The thigh is as long as 3 faces.
e. The leg is the height of 2 faces, and the foot is half a face high up to the ankle.
f. The torso has the height of 3 faces.
Translation Notes:
'Proportional Statues' refers to the study of proportions in art where the human body is analyzed in terms of measurable units like 'heads' or 'faces'. This helps artists achieve more accurate representations.