The text discusses the anatomical features of knees and feet, noting that thick and round knees are preferable in women, while inward-bent knees indicate femininity. Feet are described as essential for balance and mobility, with the ability to bend in multiple places aiding movement. Proper foot movement, influenced by the structure of bones, helps in walking and leaving clear footprints in various terrains.
Measure and Service of
Confidence. The knees, thick and round with flesh, suit women better than male figures, who need to display the knee cap more distinctly. Knees bent inward, or those that seem to knock together while walking, are often a sign of femininity and a feminine nature. Some physicians say that bow legs are a natural sign of immodesty because nourishment doesn't reach the lower parts but stays in the middle.
The FEET
The feet are like the bases or foundations of the entire body, to support it in standing and moving, and to facilitate all kinds of movement; And to make gait upright and well-suited; This cannot happen if the foot is rigid against the leg: As seen in those who walk on wooden legs or on stilts. Hence, the feet can bend more than in one place; And the leg can be made shorter or longer, depending on whether they are bent backward or forward. As shown by the structure of the bones in action. In all kinds of suitable walks, whether slightly sloped or on flat ground, the heel must always lift from behind, and the ball of the foot with the toes, as the ground gives pressure, to push the leg and foot upwards and promote forward progress. This can be clearly seen in the human footprints made in level snow, sand, or clayey roads. Where the front foot is generally pressed deeper than the heel or back foot.
Translation Notes
“Maatxel en Dienst der” translates to “Measure and Service of.” The text discusses anatomical observations about knees and feet, common in 17th-century figure studies.