A traditional method of enlarging a drawing is to draw a grid over the subject to be enlarged. Then it is easier to copy the placement of elements of each small section in turn too make the complete drawing
correspond to the smaller sketch or photograph.
Here is a link to a post from
The Pictorial Arts about how Thomas Hart Benton used sketches and a grid to compose his painting Persephone.
Albrecht Durer's perspective machine used the same principal. by observing a figure through a grid that artist could reproduce the effect of perspective on the figure without falling back on preconceived ideas of how a particular arm or leg should look.
Another blog had a series of progress images of a painting from a gridded sketch,
Patrick Lee Painting Progress and Process.
The grid behind the images in Muybridge's photographs served a similar purpose, to accurately locate the various elements of the body as it moved through space.
The image above came from albums printed by A. Calavas of photographs taken by Louis Igout.
In the nineteenth century artists started to use the new information photography supplied in their work. (see my post about Delacroix and Photography) Louis Jean Baptiste Igout was an Italian photographer working in France in the nineteenth century as photography was coming into its own. He made numerous studies of academic nude figures which were used by artists of the time to create their own works of art. He published the images in catalogs from which the artist could order a larger print. These examples are from one such catalog which is on sale at Ebay.
Album de 39 tirages photographiques albuminés de Louis Jean Baptiste Igout (1837-1880). 624 vignettes-photographies de nus féminins et nus masculins.
Louis Jean Baptiste IGOUT (photographe) / CALAVAS Frères, éditeurs.
Album de 39 planches de photographies, épreuves albuminées (14 x 20,5 cm), contrecollées sur carton fort. 16 vignettes différentes par planche. Soit 624 vignettes au total. Format des cartons 31 x 23,5 cm).
Calavas frères, Éditeurs, 68, rue de Lafayette, Paris, s.d. (vers 1875).
Louis Igout (1837-1880) était un photographe réputé qui travaillait essentiellement pour les peintres et l'École des Beaux-Arts. Cet album était destiné à représenté le modelé du corps humain (homme, femme et enfant), dans un maximum de positions possibles afin d'aider les peintre à représenter les corps. Il s'agit ici de nus dits académiques.
Références : L’Art du nu au XIXe siècle. Le photographe et son modèle.
Du nu académique au nu artistique. 1839-1914. Commissaires : Sylvie Aubenas, Catherine Mathon, Hélène Pinet, Michel Poivert. Lieu d’expo : BNF Dates : 14 octobre 1997 - 18 janvier 1998. 284 épreuves originales exposées (viennent s’y ajouter les études de nus). Le musée d'Orsay a également réalisé une exposition dans laquelle ces planches d'attitudes (planches des mains) étaient exposées. 19 juin - 30 septembre 2007 - La main. Jean-Louis Igout. Jeu de mains, étude pour artistes (planche 38 du présent album exposée).
Album of 39 albumen photographic prints by Louis Jean Baptiste Igout (1837-1880). 624 stickers photographs of female nudes and naked men.
Louis Jean Baptiste Igout (photographer) / CALAVI Brothers, editors.
Album of 39 plates of photographs, prints albuminous (14 x 20.5 cm), pasted on cardboard box. 16 different stamps per sheet. 624 or thumbnails in total. Format cartons 31 x 23.5 cm).
Calavas Brothers, Publishers, 68, rue Lafayette, Paris, nd (circa 1875).
Igout Louis (1837-1880) was a noted photographer who worked primarily for the Painters and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. This album was intended to represent the contours of the human body (man, woman and child) in a maximum possible position to help the painter to represent the body. This is called academic nude.
References: The Art of the nude in the nineteenth century. The photographer and his model. Of the academic nude nude. 1839-1914. Curated by Sylvie Aubenas, Catherine Mathon, Hélène Pinet, Michel Poivert. Venue of exhibition: BNF Dates: October 14, 1997 to January 18, 1998. 284 original prints on display (just add them nude studies). The Musée d'Orsay was also an exhibition in which these attitudes boards (boards of hands) were exposed. June 19 to September 30, 2007 - The hand. Jean-Louis Igout. Horseplay, study for artists (Plate 38 of this album exposed).
Another post about the book from
Joseph Vasta.
A sample at
L'Aquonboniste.
A history of photographer's studios from the
Musee d'Orsay site, and the announcement of the exhibition:
Jean-Louis Igout - Jeux de mains et de pieds. Etude pour artiste entre 1875 et 1880.
More examples at
Photo Verdeau.
At the 1933 Chicago World's Fair you could pay a price and draw a model for 15 minutes. This example was drawn by William Collins.
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