Anatomy Lessons From the Great Masters

by Robert Beverly Hale, Terence Coyle

This classic book, whose foremost author was one of the great artistic anatomy teachers of the twentieth century, is an invaluable instructor and reference guide for any professional, amateur, or student artist who depicts the human form.

Revealing the drawing principles behind one hundred inspiring masterpieces, the book presents work by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Rubens, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, and other greats. These superb portrayers of figures knew that the secret of drawing them was seeing how underlying bone and muscle structures mold the body’s surface forms. Readers are shown how to learn from these great examples as the authors guide them through all the steps they would take in a life class or studio working with live models.

Genres: Art, Drawing, Reference, Nonfiction, Art Design, Art History

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Robert Beverly Hale (1901–November 14, 1985) was an artist, curator of American paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and instructor of artistic anatomy at the Art Students League of New York and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_...

Reviews

[Parka · Rating 4 out of 5]

(More pictures at parkablogs.com)

Anatomy Lessons From The Great Masters is the sequel, sort of, to Drawing Lessons From The Great Masters. Again, 100 pieces of drawings from great masters are selected for analysing.

Compared to Drawing Lesson, this book is much more straightforward. The book is really like an anatomy reference which points you the parts of the body to look for. This pointing and labeling of parts isn't really called analyzing. It lacks the insight that goes into the creative process of these art masters. By comparison Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters really explores the thought process that goes into creating art.

While there are the usual anatomical reference drawings at the back, showing the bones and muscles from from and back views, it's not as comprehensive as other anatomy reference books.

The good thing about this book is of course the figure drawings. Most of them are sketches. It's really inspirational to look at the drawings created around the 15 century by artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rubens, Raphael, and other masters.

This book is not really an essential buy unless you're buying for the drawings.

I prefer Joseph Sheppard's Drawing the Living Figure which features a similar teaching style and has beautiful life drawings.

[Elvina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book in one word: simplicity. SO grateful such a piece is properly written but also drawn-- it really allows a beginner to humble himself/herself of their opinions of "how hard it is to draw what Michelangelo drew" and get on the path to mastery.

Robert has really shown to us that what we imagine impossible to be drawn can be dissected and explained to people who want to learn and are willing to learn. The ordeal of slowly hatching and cross hatching to the ideal imitation of a master work has been significantly reduced and I find myself to be more happily learning and drawing daily. This is a new way of learning art and studying the geniuses of the masters and simultaneously appreciating the beauty of their imagination and effort. <3

Art is far more than just lines and drawing what you like. It is a path and this book has allowed me to see deeper into myself that it is possible.

Thank you so much Robert Beverly Hale.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite anatomy-for-artists books. Bridgman is still the best for seeing masses as three dimensional solids, but this book is better for showing how to see surface anatomy.

In other words, Hale labelled all of the lumps that I've never been able to identify despite an extensive background in anatomy. Hale even gave me the word for the position of the hand at rest: demipronation. No one ever addresses this, let alone gives a clear, detailed, well-labelled example of how it looks in a drawing!

Note: Hale does give useful examples of how specific artists simplify the head, but that's in his book on drawing.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers a wonderful, in-depth analysis of the great master's works and why they did what they did. It really helps you to start to see and think like an artist, but this isn't a purely beginners book. Basic knowledge of perspective, anatomy, and so forth are required to get the most out of this book.

[Michaell Cavllaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST READ FOR ARTISTS

This book provides great information on the human anatomy needed for developing great figure drawing skills. This book also makes a great reference guide as well.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book if you're looking for a comprehensive guide to anatomy in figure drawing. We used this book in my college art classes. It wonderfully breaks down classical depictions of figures into contour drawings, so you can understand the basic shapes and forms that works "the greats" created. It's incredibly important as an artist to study old, timeless works and understand how to view objects as 3-D shapes and then depict them as a 3-D object on a 2-D space. This helps train the mind in observation, by showing you exactly how to "draw the rest of the owl" so to speak lol It fills in the gaps your brain-to-hand eye-coordination might be lacking, so you can build fundamental drawing skills. The latter pages depict skeletal structures and musculature in adept detail as well, so you can use it as a drawn reference to human anatomy as well. Wonderful book overall.

[Proverb King · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best book ever read

[Ngọc Phạm]

good illustration

[HELLO · Rating 2 out of 5]

inaccurate, overintellectualized and devoid of the wisdom contained in hale's original. the good: high quality reproductions

[scherzo♫ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drawings by masters (Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, Raphael, Prud'hon, etc) -- some breath-takingly, exquisitely sublime -- plus explanations of the masters' application of anatomical knowledge.

[Phogos]

i wont to read this best book

[Jedkimball]

Concise and well presented