The Utmost Twist to Look Behind; Arms Behind the Back
The threefold abdominal muscle; the extreme contrapposto twist; how close elbows meet behind the back.
This page of the Treatise on Painting first finishes explaining why the abdominal muscle from breastbone to pubis is split into three parts by three tendons: dividing its stretch keeps each segment's change small and preserves the body's beauty in bending and stretching. A chapter then describes the extreme turn in which a figure shows both heels and face to the front, possible only by bending the leg and lowering the shoulder toward the nape. A small pen sketch of a standing nude holding a staff illustrates this twisting pose, and a further chapter considers how near the elbows can be brought behind the back.
On this page
The abdominal muscle split in three for smooth movement
The muscle from breastbone to pubis is divided into three segments by three tendons so that, in bending and stretching, each takes only about three fingers' share of the nine. Were it one piece it would vary too greatly; divided, it keeps its shape steady and preserves the body's beauty.
The utmost twist to look behind oneself
Chapter [345] describes the extreme turn in which a figure shows both the heels and the face to the front. It cannot be done without difficulty unless the leg is bent and the shoulder facing the nape is lowered; the anatomy will show which muscles move first or last.
Pen sketch of a standing nude with a staff
A small pen drawing of a nude man holding a staff stands in the lower half of the page, set between the two blocks of text, illustrating the twisting pose discussed in chapter [345].
How close the elbows can meet behind the back
Chapter [346] considers arms drawn behind the body, noting that the elbows can never be brought so close that the longest fingers pass beyond them (continued on the next page).