Les Proportions du Corps Human, Mesurees sur les plus belles Figures de l’Antiquite

An 1801 reissue of Les Proportions du Corps Human, Mesurees sur les plus belles Figures de l’Antiquite By Gerard Audran is for sale on Ebay.com.

Click here to see the book for sale on Ebay.

At Amazon.com:
Les Proportions du Corps Humain, Mesurees sur les plus belles Figures de l'Antiquite

From Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge:
"Gerard Audran was unquestionably one of the greatest historical engravers that has ever existed..." He was the third son of the French engraver Claude Audran and the most famous of the family.

From The Wonders Of Engraving (1871)

"Gerard Audran, the most skilful draughtsman of the French school, and evidently a master of drawing, engraved the best work of Nicolas Poussin, which may perhaps also be considered a wonder of engraving. " Time disclosing Truth " is a magnificent composition in which the painter put forth all his powers to prove the injustice of his contemporaries towards him, and it found an admirable interpreter in Gerard Audran. " Using by turns the needle and the graving-tool, he seems," says M. Denon, " to have employed these two instruments to supplement each other like the different tints under a painter's brush." The work is in fact so beautifully blended together, that in looking at it we see the composition only, and forget until we examine it closely that the engraver's skill must almost have equalled that of the painter, for him to have rendered so faithfully the work he had undertaken. Although Gerard Audran only occasionally placed his talent at the service of Nicolas Poussin,- and produced very few engravings after that master, he must still be classed with Jean Pesne, and a female artist, of whom we shall presently speak, amongst the chief of the engravers who took their inspiration from Poussin's works."

"His father, Claude Audran, was but an inferior engraver, but fortunately he knew enough to guide a beginner. It was under his direction that Gerard produced his first engravings which showed no decided taste, and gave no hint of the future works which were to come from the master's hand. A visit to Italy in early life settled his taste and expanded his mind. When he went to Rome he already knew enough of drawing to appreciate the works he saw there, and he had acquired sufficient skill in using the graver to be able at once to set to work profitably. Although he had gained admission to the studio of Carlo Maratti, he chiefly copied antique statues and the works of great masters, and we can imagine that this style of working improved him more than the lessons of his teacher." - Google Books result.

Wikipedia Article.

A related post: Les proportions du corps humain, measurées sur les plus belles figures de l'antiquité


Gerard Audran's The Proportions of the Human Body

Les proportions du Corps Humain, Measurées sur les Plus Belles Figures de l'Antiquité

There is a copy of Gérard Audran's famous book on human proportion for sale on Ebay.

Les Proportions du Corps Humain, Measurées sur les Plus Belles Figures de l'Antiquité, Paris : G. Audran, 1683. 30 plates in all. The copy on Ebay has 25.

Gerard Audran was the third son of Claude Audran. He learned the practives of engraving from his father then went to Paris to perfect his craft, becoming the most celebrated of French engravers. He worked engraving versions of master paintings of the time, and was appointed engraver to the king, Louis XIV. He made engravings of several of Le Brun's works including "Constantine's Battle with Maxentius," "Triumph," and the "Battles of Alexander."

You can search for a copy yourself at Abebooks.com. Use the keywords, Gerard Audran, or Proportions du Corps Humain.

From a description at Abebooks, bookseller Librería Comellas: "... Gerard Lyons Audran (1640-1703). Of a family of engravers, a friend of painter
Lebrun, Audran stayed in Rome where he studied design at
from the ancient art and heads-of works of masters
Italian. Recalled in France by Colbert, he was appointed
writer and resident of the king and joined the Academy which he became adviser in 1681. He is the author of
Many prints which made famous throughout Europe. 'Les Proportions du Corps Humain' was translated into several languages and reprinted in France until the 1900s."

Another description from Abebooks, bookseller Roger Gaskell: "The best guide to human proportion for the use of artists which had appeared up to this time, according to Cicognara, based on detailed measurements classical sculpture. As Dürer had done before, Audran wants to provide a simple way to obtain harmonious proportions in representations of the human figure. Gérard Audran was one of the most accomplished engravers of his generation. His engravings here, see to great advantage in fine strong impressions, are in bold black lines in the first 26 plates of measured drawings. The last four are cross-hatched, two of facial features and two of expressions after 'R. Urbin' (i.e. Charles Le Brun?) "

This book has detailed measurements of classical statuary and was in general use as a basis for study of anatomy by art students in the time before the wide use of models. The following are several examples of student drawings from 1908.

For an ebook about human proportions, see The Art Student's Guide to the Proportions of the Human Form. Also available as a printed book at Amazon.com

Link to 3 pages from l'encyclopédie Quillet from 1953 including: Dessin géométrique,Dessin en perspective, and Le corps humain, les attitudes et les mouvements - l'homme, le mouvement, la tête; proportions du corps humain, tête, expressions, draperies. (The human body, attitude and movement the man, movement, head proportions of the human body, head, expressions, draperies.)

Other posts on the proportions of the human body - search the posts for others:

Figure Drawing: The Proportions of the Members in a Human Body

Figure Drawing: Les proportions du corps humain, measurées sur les plus belles figures de l'antiquité

Figure Drawing: The Art Student's Guide to the Proportions of the Human Form

Figure Drawing: Human Anatomy for Artists and Drawing Proportions of the Human Body

Figure Drawing: The Sculptor and Art Student's Guide to the Proportions of the Human Form - Now available as a printed book

Search for all posts about Proportions.
Search for all posts about Human Proportions.


Dessins de sculpteurs : Tome 1, Troisièmes Rencontres Internationales du Salon du Dessin


Les canons du corps humain au XIXe siècle : L'art et la règle

Méthode pour apprendre le dessein... enrichie de 100 planches représentant différentes parties du corps humain d'après Raphaël et les autres grands maîtres, plusieurs figures académiques dessinées d'après nature par M. Cochin, les proportions et les mesures des plus beaux antiques qui se voient en Italie et quelques études d'animaux et de paysage, par Charles-Antoine Jombert


Gerard Audran's The Proportions of the Human Body