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Human proportion

  • Beschryvinghe van de Menschelijke Proportion -
  • Author: DÜRER, Albrecht (1471–1528)
  • The original German edition of Dürer’s Vier Bücher von menschlicher Proportion was published in 1528, written, designed and profusely illustrated by Dürer. This is the Dutch edition with the woodcuts printed from the original woodblocks. Dürer’s study of different physiques, i.e. fat, thin, tall, short, baby, child, and adult, is the only contribution to anatomy by one of the greatest artists of all time, and probably the greatest figure in the history of the woodcut medium. In artistic importance it may be compared only by the works of Leonardo da Vinci, except that Dürer actually prepared his book for publication while Leonardo’s drawings were not published until 1911–1916.