Introduction
In his “An Hymn In Honour of Beauty” Edmund Spenser (1552-1599) famously echoed the motive of the figurative artist: “For of the soul the body form doth take: For soul is form, and doth the body make”.
For the artist the figure is a school of Form. Artistic depictions of the human body become “figurative” when they are made to convey meanings beyond the anatomical delineation. In this way classical figuration utilizes the body as a cipher for abstract messages and emotions.
For a more complete discussion of Langley figure drawing methodology refer to Bob Bahr’s article in American Artist Drawing Magazine Fall 2009 issue.
For a more complete understanding of the concept, history and representation of the human body as the subject of art refer to "The Nude: a study in ideal form" by Sir Kenneth Clark.
