This chapter discusses the male form as the epitome of human beauty, crafted perfectly by the Divine. It describes how, over time, other creatures diverged from this original human form and borrowed qualities from animals like lions and bulls. The text also explains that the basic shapes of cubes and pyramids are foundational to the human body's structure.
On the Human Figure.
Chapter II.
On the Composition of the Human Figure.
The male form is the true perfection of the human figure. The perfect idea of its beauty is the immediate work of the Divine, which created it unique and according to its own principles. As only one was initially created, the second, third, fourth, and all other creatures that followed gradually strayed further from this original creation by the Creator and degenerated from its primitive excellence. Changing in form and character, they borrowed various parts from the lion, the bull, and the horse, which surpass all other animals in strength, courage, and size of body. The following examples will demonstrate the relation the human figure might have with these animals.
The cube and the square are, as already mentioned, the primitive elements of all spatial extension within the human body. The triangle and the pyramid preside over it from the shoulders to the soles of the feet, as previously noted when discussing elementary proportion.
Indeed, within the human figure, all superior parts are more ample and larger, tapering off into the extremities. Thus, the pyramidal form dominates the figure of
Translation Notes:
"virile" - translated as "male". In this context, it refers to concepts of idealized human strength and form.