Méthode pour apprendre le dessein
Original title: Methode pour apprendre le dessein..
kurzbeschreibung
Published in 1755, Charles Antoine Jombert's drawing manual "Methode pour apprendre le dessein" includes etched illustrations. This plate presents five schematic views of the head, each accompanied by measurements that clarify its proportions.
Description
Five numbered heads are arranged symmetrically around the centre of the sheet: a frontal view (Fig. 1), a profile (Fig. 2), a three-quarter view (Fig. 3), a view from below (Fig. 4), and a combination of side and underside (Fig. 5). Every figure carries a label. The images are black line drawings on white, with no shading or colour. Measurements marked on the figures make the proportions of the head legible.
Context
Released in Paris in 1755, the book appeared at a time when drawing manuals for artists and craftsmen were widely circulated. Jombert worked as a publisher and author, issuing several works on art and architecture. The illustrations were meant as practical instruction in drawing, especially human anatomy. Such manuals were part of a systematic art education in the eighteenth century.
Impact
The spare, clear rendering feels factual and instructional, putting proportion first. Symmetrical arrangement and precise lines convey order and legibility — good conditions for a learning aid.
Technique
Etchings bound into a printed book are used here. This technique produces fine, even lines suited to technical drawing. Printing was in black on paper, without additional colours or tonal values.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)