Saturday, March 5, 2011

Proportions of Faces

Gerard Audran's study of the proportions of the faces of the Apollo Belvidere and Venus de Melias. This version was published by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, London.

From the book:Audran, in a work published in Paris, has given the following comparative scale of proportions of the faces of the Apollo Belvidere, and of an antique Venus, from adual measurement. Taking the length of the nose, which he calls a part (p), and dividing that in twelve parts, which he calls minutes (m), he dates the faces of the Apollo and of the Venus to have each three parts from the growth of the hair on the forehead to the bottom of the chin. Dividing the lower part into three, the uppermost gives the line of division of the lips ; the other parts are proportioned as follows:

Width of the face from ear to ear: Apollo: 2p 2m - Venus: 2p 2m
The eye, seen in front: 6m - 5 1/2m
Space between the eyes: 6m - 6m

Eye in profile, and the pupil in width: 2m - 2m
Width across the nostrils: 7 2/3m - 6 1/2m
Nose in profile: 6 1/2m - 6m
Width of mouth in front: 9m - 7 1/4m
same in profile: 4 1/2m - 3 2/3m

From the nostril to the ear, in profile: 1p 8 1/2m - 1p 6m
Length of the ear: 1p - 1p

The plate from the book is for sale on Ebay Click here to see them for sale on Ebay.



P. Bouillon's engravings of the Apollo Belvedere and Venus de Milos.

Gerard Audran's The Proportions of the Human BodyFrancois Duquesnoy and the Greek Ideal
Gerard Audran's The Proportions of the Human Body
Francois Duquesnoy and the Greek Ideal



A Caricaturist's Handbook: How to Draw Caricatures and Master Exaggeration

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