OF THE HUMAN FIGURE

From the heel of the foot that supports the body's weight, as seen in the statue of Happy Venus, also called Venus Celestial, and Venus leaving the bath; both found in the Vatican Gardens; and in many other statues of women. In short, one can notice in the beautiful statue of Venus Aphrodite, or the Greek one, which is in Rome, in the gardens of the Medicis, a complete assembly of all the beauties and perfections one might desire in a woman. Among the many different statues seen throughout the city and the suburbs of Rome, as well as in its gardens, cities, palaces, and private homes, we will review those that hold the highest rank and are rightly regarded as models of perfection. This is so that those who seek to know what is most beautiful and knowledgeable in sculpture and painting, both in design and in the proper proportion of limbs, as well as in movements, postures, and the different contours that constitute the beauty of the human body, may admire them, measure them, and carefully search every part, and take from each what is susceptible to imitation. We will start with statues of men. The statue of Hercules, at the Farnese Palace; that of Emperor Commodus as Hercules, at the Belvedere; those of Antinous and Apollo, in the same place: the famous statue of Laocoon seated, with his two children entangled in the serpent's knots; that of the Gladiator, at the Borghese city in Rome.

Translation Notes

Statue of Happy Venus: A reference to a specific depiction of Venus.

Venus Aphrodite: A more formal or traditional name for Venus, linking her to the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

Laocoon: Refers to the famous statue group "Laocoön and His Sons" in Vatican Museums.

Text Source Language: French