Anatomy, Artistic; Animals in art; Zoological illustration
Let it be permitted to us to remind the reader in this connection that
we have already been for twenty-one years occupied with this question,
and that by means of an articulated figure, a sort of movable mannikin,
we have endeavoured to demonstrate to artists the differences which
characterize the various paces of the horse.[69] The arrangement then
employed cannot, evidently, be used in the present volume, but we will
inspire ourselves, in the preparation of the present chapter, with the
elements of demonstration which we have employed, and which, in the
course of our teaching, we have had the satisfaction of seeing
favourably received.
[69] Édouard Cuyer, 'Les Allures du Cheval,' demonstrated with the aid
of a coloured, separable, and articulated table, Paris, 1883.
This table was the subject of a note communicated to the Academy
of Sciences by Professor Marey ('Comptes rendus de l'Académie de
Sciences') at the meeting of June 26, 1882. On the other hand, it
has been the subject of a presentation which we have had the
honour of being permitted to make to the Academy of Fine Arts at
the meeting of November 4, 1882.
The fasciculus in question has been since united with a more
complete whole as regards the study of the horse. E. Cuyer and E.
Alex, 'Le Cheval: Extérieur, Structure et Fonctions, Races,' avec
26 planches coloriées, découpées et superposées, Paris, 1886.
The progressive movements by which an individual transports himself
from one place to another do not operate according to a unique method
and with a constantly uniform velocity. These various modes of
progression are designated under the name of _paces_.
It is extremely difficult to analyze, by simple observation, the
movements which characterize these gaits. Let us, for example, examine
the displacements made by the limbs of a horse during that of walking;
if we have no notion of these displacements, it will be, so to speak,
impossible to determine in what order they are executed. The sight of
the imprints left on the ground by the hoofs is not a sufficient means
of demonstration, especially for artists. The noise made by the blows of
these limbs, or by the little bells of different timbre suspended from
them, are absolutely in the same case.
Processes enabling us to fix or to register the paces are in every way
preferable. Such really exist; they are: instantaneous photography and
those which constitute the graphic method of Professor Marey. The
results given by the photograph are certainly appreciable; but, from the
didactic point of view, we give the preference to the graphic method,
the general characters and the mode of application of which we now
proceed to analyze.[70]
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