There's something wrong about every figurative representation. You only have to look closely enough. But a representation has been successful when you're thinking about something else.
Of course, there are always some people who can't (or won't) follow where artists can go - and that's what you're doing as you notice that "There's something wrong about the noses in Greek Classical Art". Though, presumably, you could also ignore that concern if you wished (some people can't - like Ayn Rand when she complains about the grotesque wrongness of all Medieval sculpture) The rightness of a life drawing (or sculpture) is not contingent on specific rules, because so many different rules (pertaining to measurement and style and to media techniques) can be successfully applied. And if it appears that no rules or disciplines have been applied -- as with the work of children -- then rightness/wrongness is not even relevant. But once a discipline has been felt, rightness/wrongness becomes a primary issue in the representation of a human figure. Or, at least, that's my (un-proven) theory regarding most people. (including myself -- though I would say "the painting is wrong" rather than "the nose is wrong") ........................................ >What is any discipline of life drawing? There's something wrong about the noses in Greek Classical Art, so how is that the Greek Profile became so commonplace in academic art? Incidentally, there's something wrong about almost all of Classical Greek art with respect to anatomic accuracy. The Greek artists relied on tradition, purpose, and external observation and not on the internal facts of anatomy or strict objectivity. They made highly distorted figures for both practical and expressive purposes. The reason people can tell if the nose is wrong, but probably not be able to tell if the arm or toes are wrong has to do with the relatively large area of the human brain devoted to face recognition. If you say, "Depict the human body according to these rules" (whatever rules you list), then when the result does not conform to those rules, the result is wrong. Academic life drawing instruction often followed such rules -- both pertaining to measurement and style and to media techniques. Why is this an interesting issue? ____________________________________________________________ Put your loved ones in good hands with quality senior assisted living. Click now! http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2231/fc/BLSrjnxVLPaqIcsCxStZGqALEIIBHC Y9D5PodMLJ0KSMhOZRmIfHSGc2Cju/
