painter's human model

Author: Zhang Qizhuang et al. drew, He Xuefeng, Zhang Muhua photographed
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2002-06-01
Features: With the development and progress of society, how to correctly understand, examine, and appreciate human body art, and comprehend its aesthetic role in real life, indeed constitutes a new topic. The human body is a symbol of beauty, and nude art has a long history. As an art form, nudity flourished primarily in ancient Greece around the 5th century BC. At that time, they engaged in naked competitions, both for physical training and to showcase their national beliefs. Since the birth of Venus, nude art, as a form of beauty, became not only sacred and inviolable in the West but also an example of sublime dignity, symbolizing the goddess of unparalleled greatness and the idealization of oneself. During the Renaissance, nude art became a mark of human liberation, breaking free from the asceticism of the Middle Ages and becoming a civilized symbol of freedom under humanism. Thus, it left a brilliantly shining page in the history of art. As Marx said, "Greek art, in certain aspects, remains a norm and an unattainable model." However, in China, human body art was like a "long-overdue spring." The ancients not only failed to accept human body art but also used ignorant and cruel means like foot-binding to subjugate women's bodies and spirits. Even in the Republican era, Mr. Liu Haisu's introduction of human body classes at Shanghai Art College caused a sensation and was subject to scrutiny and harassment from warlords. They believed that painting women in the nude was indecent and disturbed the "sacred" traditions of their ancestors. Therefore, thousands of years of feudal rule were a disaster and misfortune for our Chinese nation. Fortunately, with the reform and opening-up, the situation in China has undergone tremendous changes today. Now, it is common to see stylish and healthy women everywhere. The transformation of Chinese women—from corseting their chests to enhancing their breasts, from foot-binding to wearing high heels—demonstrates a truth: advanced aesthetic awareness, with its boundless power, is shattering the feudal evils of thousands of years and stepping into the modern civilization of the 21st century with a new posture. That is, "the human body is beautiful, and the love for beauty is an innate human nature." Human beauty encompasses various aesthetic elements such as form, curves, symmetry, harmony, color, and more. Artists have the right to reflect their inner spirit and the freedom of their souls in nude art. As a cultural carrier, human body art should embody greatness and dignity. For an artwork, whether it can evoke lustful desires depends on the artist's intent and the audience's motivations. Aesthetic appreciation and lust are often just a thin line apart, determined by the artist's aesthetic sense and the cultural level of the observer. From material culture to human body culture, it is a historical process of confronting life and purifying the soul, awaiting our refinement and elevation. Because of human beauty, people study it, portray it, and appreciate it. Industries such as contemporary fashion, painting, sculpture, photography, landscaping, and architectural design are all inseparable from human body art. Therefore, studying and portraying the human body is the need of the times, especially for art workers. "Human body art" is an essential subject that cannot be ignored. When studying and portraying the human body, one naturally needs to understand its posture and structure and strive to uncover its aesthetic elements. This book not only captures various beautiful forms of the human body in standing, sitting, kneeling, and lying positions but also pairs them with corresponding works of human body painting in sketches, oils, Chinese ink, and watercolors, complementing each other and shining together. Additionally, it includes technical steps, providing beginners with an easy-to-understand learning method. This book serves as both a reference for professionals in learning, researching, and portraying human body art, and a model for art lovers to appreciate it. It is truly an excellent book.