Dawn Spink
Lesley Caltieri
As a lover of Italian art and having recently visited Florence and Venice I was keen to get my hands on this book. Initially I thought it would be a bit too 'wordy' with quite a dense introduction to each statue however it was interesting to read the history of each statue. It is most
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Well, this is nothing if not niche! However, as Giovanni points out in his introduction, drawing statues has been part of art teaching since the sixteenth century. Originally, classical pieces were selected as examples of the highest standard of beauty, style, harmony and composition. On a practical level, they can be more accessible than a life model and have the advantage, as well as being static, of already being an interpretation that provides a clearly delineated form. Structure, anatomy and musculature have already been dealt with and its almost like having an outline prepared ready for you. As a first lesson in figure drawing, its a hard starting point to beat.
There is more of the worked demonstration here that is usual with Giovannis books, and it suits the subject matter well. Most of the statues include are indeed classical, but youll also find Degas Little Dancer and Rodins The Kiss. As ever, Giovannis sensitive pencil work is a joy to behold.
