Gottfried Bammes, born in 1920 in Freital, Germany, worked as an art teacher at the College of Fine Arts in Dresden. He was a prolific writer and artist, considered to be a master of life drawing and anatomy and produced numerous books on the subject in his lifetime. In 1974 Bammes was awarded the National Prize of the German Democratic Republic for Science and Technology and received the Culture and Art Prize of the City of Freital in 2000. He died in 2007.
First published in German in 1964 at a time when contemporary art
school theory in the UK did not see figure drawng as central to
perceptual education, this book's 500 pages have endured a 10th
edition, published now for the first time in English. Drawing from
life is in revival today, popularly pursued as a fundamental
discipline, and wealth of illustration here in every aspect of
configuration of pose analysed graphically, photographically, by
muscle, along with examples of master drawings and technique makes
compulsive reading for anyone so occupied. For practising artists
this book allows contemplation before and after a study and more
essentially the 'science' and 'art' of drawing meet in reference in
a way which it is hard to see able to improve upon.
*Galleries magazine*
July 2017 This is the most substantial volume on anatomy and figure
drawing I've ever seen, and it might also be the most accessible.
The secret I think is that by giving himself space Gottfried Bammes
does have to cram everything in together. Each drawing includes
just enough information to illustrate the point in hand and no
more. All the skeletal and muscle structure is there, but in
artistic, rather than medical detail. Photographs, block diagrams
and classical examples serve to enhance the experience. The book is
structured so that you're only aware of the section you're in, and
never intimidated by the rest. This is a thorough course and not
really for the beginner, but niether do nyou need to be a
specialist to appreciate it.
*The Artist*
March 2017 Gottfried Bammes (1920-2007), once Professor of Artistic
Anatomy at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, was the prolific
author of many successful books on life-drawing, some published in
English. The Complete Guide to Anatomy for Artists & Illustrators,
initially published in 1964 as Die Gestalt des Menschen, is
undoubtedly his masterpiece. The nine editions of this book in
German are a
measure of its success and impact and this – the tenth and the
first in English – is very welcome.
The bulk of the book consists of six chapters devoted to regional
anatomy, each integrating descriptions of the structural components
in relation to the dynamics of function and to artistic expression.
The final section of each chapter gives relevant examples from
works of art. Throughout, the emphasis is on providing the teacher
with progressive methods of instructing the student to acquire an
integrated approach that combines art and science. Three further
chapters address more general issues: bodily proportions in
relation to age and gender; the dynamics and bearing of the human
body; and the “building blocks” of the body, namely, the skeleton,
muscles, and skin and fat.
The English text sometimes betrays its origin but any weakness in
translation is fully compensated for by the wonderful range of more
than 1,200 illustrations which speak a universal language. The
anatomical drawings are notable for both their clarity and
attractiveness. There are also sketches and diagrams by the
artist-author and photographs of nude models that cover a wide
variety of ages
and body-forms. The diagrams of silhouetted figures and limbs in
action, with the skeleton and muscle delineated, are particularly
informative.
The medical historian will be interested in the introductory
chapter, showing how Renaissance humanism called for more than the
simple rendering of the human form, which had previously satisfied
the demands of mediaeval religious painting. Leonardo da Vinci,
though not the first anatomist, launched the study of anatomy as an
artistic, dynamic process. Vesalius set new standards for
scientific observation, discrediting Galen, and, with Stephan von
Calcar, reached new heights of artistic anatomical representation
This volume can be warmly recommended as an essential reference
book for professional figurative artists and illustrators, for
teachers of life drawing, and for keen students of the art.
http://bshm.org.uk/notice-board/book-reviews-alt/
*Barry Hoffbrand - British Society for the History of Medicine*
Apr-17 Gottfried Bammes's The Complete Guide to Anatomy for Artists
& Illustrators was originally published in Germany in 1964 and is
considered to be the definitive guide to drawing the human body. It
has now been translated into english for the first time and
contains over 1200 photographs, diagrams and drawings within its
500 pages. A must for anyone serious about capturing the human form
in detail
*The Leisure Painter*
This is the most substantial book I’ve seen on the subject of
anatomy. Substantial, however, doesn’t mean incomprehensible and,
looking into its pages, it becomes possible to believe the jacket’s
claim that the original German edition is “bestselling” – even
though I doubt it would have troubled the literary pages of the
Frankfurter Allgemeine. Gottfried Bammes does a remarkable job of
explaining every aspect of both anatomy and the practice of drawing
it in a way that simplifies without reduction to absurdity.
Anatomy, rather like perspective, is complex and comes with the
additional hazard that, when writing about art, any author needs to
avoid something that looks like a medical textbook. That Gottfried
avoids this is, in large part, down to the quality of the drawings
he uses to illustrate everything. He has a lightness of touch that,
while it might be out of place in a hospital lecture theatre, is
more than adequate in a drawing studio. The result is not only
manageable, but looks and feels manageable. On top of this, the way
the book is structured makes each section a unit in its own right;
you can concentrate on the room without feeling weighed down by the
rest of the building, large and ornate though it is. I’d hesitate
to recommend this as a primer but, if you’re interested in anatomy
for artistic purposes, I doubt you’ll ever find a better, and
certainly not a more complete, guide.
*Artbookreview*
Originally published in Germany in 1964, this has become a
definitive guide to drawing the human figure. This is the first
English translation of the complete work. The tome contains over
12,000 drawings, diagrams and photographs covering all aspects of
the human form. Structure, function and anatomical processes are
all described in detail. It is a systematic approach to learning
anatomy offering steps and exercises to reveal practical
development for the artist. It provides an in-depth look
at the subject. The book includes Anatomy For Artists Past and
Present; The Proportions of The Human Body; Bearing and Movement;
Building Blocks; Lower Extremities; Skeleton; Muscles; Upper
Extremities; Neck; Head including facial features and Artistic
Freedom. It talks about measuring processes, developmental stage
and proportion3-dimension and space, poses and all factors that
have to be taken into account when drawing. The developmental
sequences, for example, of knee construction are fascinating. The
highly detailed instruction is probably beyond the Sunday painter,
but for any serious painter of the human form, this is the best
book I have seen. Illustrated with fine examples of well-known
artists such as Michelangelo, Matisse and Durer. Brilliant.
*yarnsandfabrics.co.uk*
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