Weight-Shift, Contrapposto, and the Balance of Standing
Shifting weight as a sign of age or fatigue, and varying the limbs so a standing figure keeps its balance.
This page of the Treatise on Painting examines how a standing figure distributes its weight. Leonardo notes that sharing the load evenly between both legs to rest a tired one suits the decrepit, the infant, or the weary, whereas a healthy youth stands firmly on a single leg. He prescribes contrapposto: when a figure rests on one leg the opposite limbs must vary, one arm forward and the other back, and the shoulder above the bearing leg dropped lower, so the centre of gravity falls over the supporting joint. A closing heading announces the next chapter on a man coming to rest upon his feet.
On this page
Weight-shift as a sign of age or fatigue
When long standing tires the supporting leg, a man passes part of his weight to the other, but this even sharing belongs to old age, infancy, or a weary man, since it shows weakness. A healthy, vigorous youth rests on one leg, giving weight to the other only when he wishes to begin a movement, for motion is generated from inequality.
Contrapposto in the standing figure
Standing figures should always vary the limbs: if one arm goes forward the other stays still or draws back, and if the figure rests on one leg the shoulder above that leg is set lower than the other. This follows the natural instinct to keep the man balanced over his feet so he does not topple.
The centre of gravity over the supporting leg
Resting on one foot, the opposite bent leg gives no support and is as if dead; necessity therefore sends the centre of gravity of everything above the legs over the joint of the supporting leg. Motion itself is generated from this inequality of balance.
