A Handbook of Anatomy for Art Students (Paperback)

~ Arthur Thomson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Skeletal structure, muscles, heads, special features. Exhaustive text, anatomical figures, undraped photos. Male and female. 337 illustrations.

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Product Details Paperback: 459 pages Publisher: Dover Publications; 5 edition (June 1, 1964) Language: English ISBN-10: 0486211630 ISBN-13: 978-0486211633 Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #861,298 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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	67% buy the item featured on this page: A Handbook of Anatomy for Art Students 3.2 out of 5 stars (4)
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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 3.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars fascinating and useful relic, January 16, 2006 By  Paulybrooklyn - See all my reviews    This is an intriguing book for several reasons--first, it must pointed out that it contains some shocking statements about race that seem to be based on an odd hybrid of neoclassicism and social Darwinism. Skulls of different races (highly caricatured) are compared to Greek ideals using arcane measurements, and this becomes a springboard for a twisted argument about racial superiority that was, alas, probably quite maintstream during the 1920's. Additionally, many photographs of live models have been strangely doctored; the faces appear to have been painted over to resemble Greek classical sculpture, which, instead of looking beautiful, is rather grotesque... equally hideous (although understandable for the time) is the rubbing out of the models' genitals. That being said, the anatomical plates are beautifully drawn and numerous, with a great deal of useful information. Unlike many other books, photographs of models in bended and tensed poses are compared with diagrams that show the muscles in those same positions, depicting their contracted and expanded states. Also, this is the ONLY anatomy book I've ever seen that compares male and female antatomy in any depth, showing differences in proportion and skeletal structure (with particular attention to the pelvis). These are elements that Elliot Goldfinger's otherwise beautiful book are sorely lacking. For those reasons, this is a key book for any serious figurative artist. 5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful., September 22, 2008 By  Art Anatomy Student - See all my reviews I agree with Paulybrooklyn. If one is willing to look past certain anachronisms, this book will be very useful. I recommend this book to those who have already committed anatomy to memory -- those who desire more in-depth coverage on how the anatomy affects the topography of the body -- accounting for the differences in gender and body type. For those who have Eliot Goldfinger's book, this text is a great companion. Be prepared for slight differences in nomenclature (e.g tensor fasciae femoris = tensor fascia lata... internus=medialis etc.) 3.0 out of 5 stars difficult and rewarding, August 29, 2008 By  Michael Amendolara - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    A fiendishly difficult read, but worth the trouble if you are serious about conventional artist's anatomy. What makes this a beast is the difficulty of describing body features with no mame; this furrow, that dimple etc. Professor of anatomy at Oxford and also at the Royal Academy of Arts, Thompson has an enthusiasm for the structural marvels of the human form that smacks of obsession. Terribly British in ways you can only imagine.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 1.0 out of 5 stars Old book in a new cover This is more like a text book with very few poor quality older drawings and photos of models. Nothing is more disturbing than blurred areas of the anatomy in a photo, looks more... Read more Published on February 17, 2005 by Artist's Guild Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 459 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; 5 edition (June 1, 1964)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486211630
• ISBN-13: 978-0486211633
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #861,298 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fascinating and useful relic, January 16, 2006

By	Paulybrooklyn - See all my reviews

This is an intriguing book for several reasons--first, it must pointed out that it contains some shocking statements about race that seem to be based on an odd hybrid of neoclassicism and social Darwinism. Skulls of different races (highly caricatured) are compared to Greek ideals using arcane measurements, and this becomes a springboard for a twisted argument about racial superiority that was, alas, probably quite maintstream during the 1920's. Additionally, many photographs of live models have been strangely doctored; the faces appear to have been painted over to resemble Greek classical sculpture, which, instead of looking beautiful, is rather grotesque... equally hideous (although understandable for the time) is the rubbing out of the models' genitals.

That being said, the anatomical plates are beautifully drawn and numerous, with a great deal of useful information. Unlike many other books, photographs of models in bended and tensed poses are compared with diagrams that show the muscles in those same positions, depicting their contracted and expanded states. Also, this is the ONLY anatomy book I've ever seen that compares male and female antatomy in any depth, showing differences in proportion and skeletal structure (with particular attention to the pelvis). These are elements that Elliot Goldfinger's otherwise beautiful book are sorely lacking. For those reasons, this is a key book for any serious figurative artist.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful., September 22, 2008

By	Art Anatomy Student - See all my reviews

I agree with Paulybrooklyn. If one is willing to look past certain anachronisms, this book will be very useful. I recommend this book to those who have already committed anatomy to memory -- those who desire more in-depth coverage on how the anatomy affects the topography of the body -- accounting for the differences in gender and body type. For those who have Eliot Goldfinger's book, this text is a great companion. Be prepared for slight differences in nomenclature (e.g tensor fasciae femoris = tensor fascia lata... internus=medialis etc.)

3.0 out of 5 stars difficult and rewarding, August 29, 2008

By	Michael Amendolara - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A fiendishly difficult read, but worth the trouble if you are serious about conventional artist's anatomy. What makes this a beast is the difficulty of describing body features with no mame; this furrow, that dimple etc. Professor of anatomy at Oxford and also at the Royal Academy of Arts, Thompson has an enthusiasm for the structural marvels of the human form that smacks of obsession. Terribly British in ways you can only imagine.