The art of painting according to the theory and practise of the best Italian, French, and Germane masters. Treating of the antiquity of painting. The reputation it always had. The characters of several masters. Proportion. Action and passion. The effects of light. Perspective. Draught. Colouring. Ordonnance. Far more compleat and compendious then hath yet been publisht by any, antient or modern. The second edition. By M.S. gent.

CAP. XII. (Book 12)

Rules of Proportion.

SOme of the Italians were wont to divide the length of the Body, from the top of the Head to the Sole of the Foot into thirty equall Parts or Degrees, dividing each Degree into ten Minut's, in all three hundred, which is apt to confound any young Disciple, nor can such minute parts be measur'd but by Osteology.

Therefore we will only (which is sufficient) divide the Face into three equall parts, and each part into four less Subdivisions.

Ten Faces we count to a Tall Graceful Body & is measur'd thus: the first from the top of the Head to the Root of the No∣strels: the second, thence to the Throat pit: the third, thence to the Pit of the Stomack; the fourth thence to the Navil; the fifth thence to the Piramidal Muscles; thence to the Knee two and a half; and to the sole of the Foot two and a half more.

The first part from the Top of the Head and Nose answer to the space betwixt that and the Chin, in a Triple Proportion, which maketh a Diapente and a Diapason. That between the Chin and the Throat-pit, answereth to that between the Nose and the Chin in a double Proportion, which makes a Dia∣pason: whereunto the Head answers in the same Proportion, the three Faces between the Throat-pit and the Piramidal mus∣cles, answer to the second between them and the Knee in a Sesquialter Proportion; whence ariseth a Diapente; but with the Leg they are Unisons, for it hath the same Proportion with the Thigh.

The Extent of the Arms hath the same Length, beginning from the end of the long Finger, to the Joynt of the wrists one Face: from thence to the bending of the Arm one Face and a third part; thence to the Joyning on the Shoulders, one and a third part; from the Shoulders to the hole in the Neck, one and a third part, all which make five Faces: and the like to the extremity of the other Arme make in all ten Faces.

The Italians Measure thus, from the extremity of the middle Finger, to the wrist of the Hand, one Face, thence to the Elbow one and a half, so much to the Clavicola, or Joynt of the shoul∣ders; and one to the Throat-Pit.

So that the Hands alone are Unisons, with that between the Shoulder Joynt and the Throat-pit, and the space between the Shoulders and the Elbow, with that between the Elbow and the wrist; so that these answer to each other in a Sesquialter Pro∣portion cal'd a Diapente.

A Face is as much as the distance between the Nipples, and so much more from each of them to the Throat-pit; making an Equaliter Triangle.

The Compass of the Head, from the Eye-Brows to the Neck behinde, is double to the length of the whole Head. The Com∣pass of the waste is a Triple Sesquialter to the Diameter thereof; and is Unison with the Trunk of the Body, which is three Faces. The Circumference of the Body under the Arm-pits, and the space between them and the wrists, answer in a Double Propor∣tion, and is Unison with any half of the Body.

They who by the Head, mean the length of the whole Head, must make but Eight Heads in all, as thus, the Head one; thence to the Bottom of the Breast one; one from thence to the Navil; from thence to the Antipendiums, one; thence to the middle of the Thigh, one; to the lower part of the Knee, one more; thence to the small of the Leg, one; and from thence to the bottom of the Foot, one more; in all Eight.

And thus the Breadth, when the Arms are extended, from the Extremity of the middle Finger to the wrist; thence to the bending of the Arm, one; thence to the bottom of the shoulder, one; over to the other shoulder, two more; and to the end of the middle Finger three more as before.

The breadth of a Figure without motion seen Frontwise is thus measur'd: the breadth of the Shoulders cross'd at the Dellord Muscle, to the joyning on the Arms, two Faces; about the Haunches where the Oblique extern Muscles are, one Face, two third parts and three Subdivisions; the Thighs at the biggest place one Face. The Knee one third part, three Subdivisions; and an half; the Leg at the biggest is two third

parts and one subdivission; the extremity of the Ancles, one third part one subdivision and an half; the Feet one third part and a half, and half a subdivision, their length one Face, one third part and one Subdivision.