Artistic Anatomy (Practical Art Books) [Paperback]

Dr. Paul Richer (Author), Robert Beverly Hale (Author)

Book Description

Series: Practical Art Books | Publication Date: February 1, 1986

Artistic Anatomy is widely acknowledged to be the greatest book of its kind since the Renaissance. The original French edition, now a rare collector's item, was published in 1889 and was probably used as a resource by Renoir, Braque, Degas, Bazille, and many others. The English-language edition, first published 35 years ago, brings together the nineteenth century's greatest teacher of artistic anatomy, Paul Richer, and the twentieth century's most renowned teacher of anatomy and figure drawing, Robert Beverly Hale, who translated and edited the book for the modern reader. Now Watson-Guptill is proud to reissue this dynamic classic with an anniversary sticker, sure to inspire drawing students well into our century.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Dr. Paul Richer (1849-1933), a distinguished artist and scientist, was a professor of creative anatomy at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and a member of the city's Institute of Medicine.


Robern Beverly Hale (1901-1985), who ended his career as curator emeritus of American painting and sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, was an instructor of anatomy at the Art Students League for 40 years. His famous lectures, illustrated with life-size drawings that he created on the spot, have been compiled and edited by Terence Coyle and published in Master Class in Figure Drawing. Hale's other books include Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters and Anatomy Lessons from the Great Masters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill; 35 Rep Anv edition (February 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823002977
• ISBN-13: 978-0823002979
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.8 x 11.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Figure Drawing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a MUST HAVE book, October 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Artistic Anatomy (Practical Art Books) (Paperback)

This is a MUST HAVE book for anatomy, and I have taken 2 anatomy classes in art college where this is the only required reading. Yes, the previous reviewer is correct in that labels are incorrect(though only a few) and that it is bewildering why the text and drawings are separated into two parts.

However, this book is nothing less than a classic, and any modern art anatomy book references Richer in one way or other -- just look at the bibliography of any anatomy book. The drawings at the end of the book are especially invaluable. Where else can you find 16 side by side drawings of the rotations of the arm? This alone is priceless in understanding how muscles ACTUALLY WORK rather than simply displaying front and profile pictures.

I would also recommend "Human Antomy for Artists" by Eliot Goldfinger. It is obviously largely based on Richer's work, but deeply expanded in that it covers every single muscle in detail along with photographs of models. However, you need both books, since Goldfinger does not have the case studies that Richer does (Goldfinger shows the muscles clinically and not in actual application) and is not the master illustrator that Richer was.

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Difficult to use and riddled with editorial errors, May 8, 2000

By 

E.J.Barnes (Amherst, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Artistic Anatomy (Practical Art Books) (Paperback)

Robert Beverly Hale of Columbia University not only edited, but translated this work by Dr. Paul Richer, which was apparently advanced for its time. The same cannot be said today, even though the human body has not changed much in 100 years.

I used this book as my text in a formal class on artistic anatomy, in which we could select one or more of several artistic anatomy texts. Without the class to correct the confusion caused by the book, I would have been lost.

Although I was able to glean most of the necessary information from the text and illustrations, I was frequently confused by mislabeled diagrams and inconsistent translation of technical terms. A sharp-eyed editor would have caught most of these errors, including text that referred to the wrong plate numbers or the wrong figures within the plates. That a book could still be in print after 30 years -- Hale's translation is copyrighted 1971 -- without ever cleaning up such a mess in later editions is unconscionable.

Some of the problems, such as plate numbers mis-referenced in the text, could be bypassed to a large degree if the modern version of the book were not constrained by the format of the original. In the 1890s, technical constraints often led illustrations and typeset text to be printed on different presses, and thus to be grouped separately in the final book. Modern printing technology (as Edward Tufte has pointed out) is not so constrained, so the convention of sticking all the plates in the back is nothing more than an impediment to use. I found myself reading Richer/Hale with my left index finger as a live bookmark in the text section, and my right on the plate being referenced. Awkward to say the least.

Richer also omits illustrating several bones in the skeletal section, either showing them later when describing the muscles, as for the hyoid bone in the throat, or mentioning them only in the text, as for the smallest bones on the undersides of the thumb and big toe. Richer's illustrations of the bones and muscles of the hand are of insufficient integration and detail. Hale, reverent as always towards Richer's plates, did not see fit to address any of these shortcomings by adding any new illustrations of his own.

Finally, readers sensitive to how racial differences in the human body were regarded by late 19th century Europeans might want to either avoid Richer, or view his remarks as an unscientific historical curiosity. Stephen Jay Gould has written on "The Mismeasure of Man," and in Richer we see an example of this mindset, the obsession with measuring the human body with an eye to racial categorization. How long is the Negro humerus -- when you don't account for regional differences within the category of "Negro"?

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On Drawing Men and Women!!!, June 9, 2005

By 

Siju Thomas (India) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Artistic Anatomy (Practical Art Books) (Paperback)

I would like to say something to add to what my fellow reviewers have said.I feel that if you study male-anatomy and you become good at it,you will be able to easily draw women,and the reverse is not true,because most normal women are predisposed to not have much of the musculature or bone structure visible outside because of fat deposit patterns.(atheletes being exceptions)Anatomy of the male and the female is a matter of proportional differences in various parts and a dozen books are available about the subject,And Dr.Richer was trying to take on the subject of morphology which is very important as an approach.And there is no one book to rule them all ,there have been great masters and teachers in the last few hundred years and each had something to say or teach,you can either look at their work or read their books to see the same.I think a lot of width of thinking is required to develop a strong understanding of Anatomy and we are not likely to find it in one book.This book is a must in a collection which should also include Robert Reverly Hale ,Hogarth,Works of Michelangelo,Leonardo,and some current Masters like John Raynes and Glenn Vilppu.