Old Masters Drawing
Cast and Statues
Rubens's advice on drawing casts exists today in his only surviving piece of theoretical writing, De imitatione statuarum: "But one must make judicious use of them and before all avoid the effect of stone." To the right are two different interpretations of the same cast of the Apostle John. The cast on the top of the page was top lit and tilted forward to portray the Saint's mysticism. Directly to the right the cast was drawn in front light. The pupils and irises were added. Pencil on paper
Statuary as a design reference
After Pierino da Vinci's Samson Subduing a Philistine
Pencil on paper
Concept sketch for The Red Card
Pencil on paper
The Fellowship investigated adapting existing statuary as a source for figure concepts. The live model could not hold the compression of the abdomen for any length of time as in the da Vinci pose. So the drawing of the statue and the live model were used as a reference for the Red Card sketch. The sketch will be inserted into a composition with the figure below.
Notes
1. Rubens wrote, "I am convinced that in order to achieve the highest perfection [in art] one needs a full understanding of the statues, nay a complete absorbtion in them; but one must make judicious use of them and before all avoid the effects of stone. For many neophytes and even some experts do not distinquish stuff from form, stone from figure, nor the exigencies of the marble from its artistic use....Whoever can make this distinction with wise discretion should indeed welcome the statues in a loving embrace." Stechow 1968, p. 26