The text discusses the positioning of hands and other body parts in art to convey natural expressions and actions. It emphasizes keeping the hands and other limbs aligned with the source of emotion, primarily around the heart. The instructions detail how to pose limbs concerning each other to accurately represent accidental or deliberate actions.
Actual Activities
Because they remain close to their Source and origin of Motions and Passions, which might seem easier to assist with, and would thus more readily align in expression. And it seems not that the Hands engage themselves for any other Reason than those mentioned, naturally, and mostly around the heart.
In an Action where in an Image by chance, backward, or sideways, or otherwise, the Feet or any other Limbs should not be turned towards the same side where the Head turns; because otherwise it would not depict something accidental, but rather a premeditated Action: Therefore, in such positions concerning the Feet, Knees, Sides, and Neck, one must consider the following: if the Image is placed on its right Foot, then the left Knee should be slightly bent, the Leg a bit drawn backward, the Foot somewhat outwards, and slightly lifted from behind: The Left Shoulder slightly higher than the Right: The Neck and Face should turn towards the side of the Left Foot, and the Left Shoulder should align directly with the point of the Right Foot.
And because the Neck is made such that the Head, in service of the Sight, can easily swivel both this way and that, and turn in various, countless manners, as we have seen in the Portrait positions, so the Chest should never turn towards the same side where the Head points; unless one wishes the Image to do some Work with the Arms and Hands that requires the Sight; And thus