Saturday, February 15, 2014

Artist's Lay Figure


There's something sweet and vulnerable about this artist's lay figure from France circa 1860-1880.

It's life-size, made of wood and metal, with a painted papier-mâché head. Note the curvature of the femurs, the jointed fingers, and the pronating forearms, all with adjustable tensioners in the joints. I'm not sure why the rib cage seems inadequate. 

In order to serve its purpose as a clothing model for painters, I'm supposing that the musculature would have been bulked out in muslin and cotton batting.
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2 comments:

  1. Eugene ArenhausFebruary 15, 2014 at 8:42 AM

    Perhaps the rib cage is simply incomplete, and only the wooden sternum is the important part.

    I am more curious about the odd length of the neck.

    But the articulation in those mannequins is superb.

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  2. Stinson LenzFebruary 19, 2014 at 11:46 AM

    Now that's a lay-figure I can get behind!

    I wonder if the odd neck length is because of a swapped out head? The one that's on there doesn't really match the rest of the figure.

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