The text discusses the balance and positioning of the human figure when standing. It explains how weight shifts when one leg is raised and how balance is maintained through the correct positioning of the body parts, visualizing an imaginary line of balance. It also contrasts this with the posture of elderly individuals who require additional support.
Positioning of Figures
The alignment of this foot is such that it stands completely firm and secure in its weight. There is no change in this position; as soon as one leg of a standing person is raised, part of the weight shifts to the opposite side, initially making the figure appear out of balance, potentially causing it to fall over. However, by repositioning the raised foot and its associated parts further from its central line, it compensates by becoming heavier as needed, balancing the shifted weight. Thus, balance is once again achieved around a specific line, which one must visualize in the body's overall weight distribution.
Let us grasp this concept through a few examples, first observing how a simply and naturally posed figure maintains general poise. We propose that a figure can never be graceful; nor can it be realistic in its stance (though it may appear so without any particular physical exertion) when it stands equally weighted on both feet, planted so that the head hangs centrally through the weight line from the base of the neck between both feet without any swaying of the hips or change in limb positions, continuously facing the same direction. This condition reflects the stance of very old and weak people, who in general do not have the capacity to support their entire bodies on their weakened hips, legs, and feet, often requiring the assistance of a third leg or a walking stick.