Artist’s Sketchbook
John Flaxman, late 18th century (1755-1826)
Fitzwilliam Museum 827/7
John Flaxman (1755-1826), the celebrated neo-classical sculptor and President of the Royal Academy of Arts, based his artwork on a detailed study of anatomical and classical forms, drawing on the medical sciences, philosophy and geometry. His notebook ‘Motion and equilibrium of the human body’ contains numerous sketches alongside his discussions of the anatomy, proportions, character and composition of the human body. The open page shows bodily proportions of the body and the facsimile page contains a study of the movement of the body.
