The Follies of Fashion, and Shadows in the Folds of Drapery
Extravagant garments of former ages, then how the eye reads shadow within the folds of cloth
The top of the page continues Leonardo's satire of changing fashion: sleeves grown larger than the whole gown, garments raised until they covered the head, then lengthened until arms were laden with cloth, and finally cut so tight that men split their seams and their toes grew callused. Two short chapters on drapery follow. Chapter 542, marked a, explains that shadows between the folds around human bodies grow darker the more the concavities that generate them face the eye; chapter 543 requires that folds, in any attitude, reveal the figure's action without ambiguity.
On this page
The absurd extremes of former fashions
Leonardo recounts how in one age sleeves grew so large that each was bigger than the gown, and garments were raised until they covered the whole head, then stripped so they no longer rested on the shoulders. Later dress was lengthened until men had their arms laden with cloth to avoid treading on it, then cut so tight to flank and elbow that many split apart underneath and their toes overlapped and grew callused.
a. The eye that sees folds of cloth surrounding a man
The shadows set between the folds of cloth around human bodies will be the darker the more they, together with the concavities where the shadows arise, lie directly opposite the eye. This holds, Leonardo notes, when the eye is placed between the shadowed and the illuminated part of the figure.
Folds must reveal the figure's action
The folds of cloth, placed in whatever action of the figure, must always show that action by their lineaments. They should give no ambiguity or confusion of the true attitude to whoever considers them.