Description
During the 19th century and into the first two decades of the 20th century, the French École des Beaux-Arts curriculum was influential throughout Europe and North America. A “Beaux-Arts” education emphasized the study of art from Greek and Roman antiquity and students typically drew careful copies of plaster casts of statues as part of their training. Another type of work, ecorché drawings, were done by artists to learn underlying human muscle anatomy in order to better interpret and render the surfaces of the human form and create more realistic figures. Ecorché drawings were also done as exercises by medical students in studying anatomy. In addition some were professionally rendered for use by medical students in the instruction of anatomy as illustrations in books or separately issued as classroom charts.
Titled and dated “Faune du Capitole 21/1=51” lower right, and numbered 32, upper left.
Provenance: Formerly in the renowned collection of antiquarian anatomy books and art of Dr. Dean Edell, a physician who hosted a highly successful nationally syndicated talk show on health and medicine for 30 years before retiring in 2010.
Condition: Generally very good with the usual overall light toning and wear. Light scattered pale foxing, unobtrusive. A few soft creases, unobtrusive. Remnants of old hinging or adhesive verso near outer margins, not affecting the front. Frame generally very good with the usual overall wear and shrinkage.