The text discusses the artistic representation of human anatomy, emphasizing how men and women’s features should be depicted differently for aesthetic reasons. It highlights the importance of drawing techniques, grace, and elegance, suggesting the study of great masters like Michelangelo and Raphael for inspiration. The passage also speaks to the accomplishments of French artists, who rival their Italian counterparts in painting skills.
THE DRAWING.
Regarding the hands and feet, those of men will be more defined, yet without appearing dry or emaciated; for women, their feet and hands will always be shown as round and plump, without marking the veins or tendons.
The thighs will be thicker at the top and will gradually reduce towards the knee: for men, they will be muscled but without harshness; the beauty of a woman's thigh consists in being smooth and almost round. The same is true for the legs where one must observe a certain grace, a certain shape which constitutes beauty. In short, there are elegances to seek that cannot be expressed in words, but will be easily discovered by intelligent eyes, through the reflective study of the works of great Masters. To achieve this, it is essential to frequently consider the works of Michelangelo, to learn about the attachment of limbs, those of Raphael for the nobility of contour and grace, and those of the Carracci for excellent drawing; but without reverting to past centuries to find models of perfection in painting, do we not have equally perfect ones among the French painters who shone last century? The illustrious Le Brun, for example, could be compared with the most famous foreign painters for the nobility of his composition; and it is agreed that he even surpassed them with the richness and vastness of his genius. Le Sueur, without ever having seen Italy, perfectly possessed the noble simplicity admired in Raphael. Lafosse excelled in ceilings, in the grand effects of chiaroscuro, and in the beauty of coloring. Jouvenet became celebrated for a great character of drawing. Without
Translation Notes: "Chiaroscuro" is an art technique using strong contrasts between light and dark to achieve a sense of volume. The "Carracci" refers to a family of painters from Bologna known for their sophistication and mastery in drawing.