Comments on: THE LAY FIGURE, OR LIFE DRAWING WITHOUT A MODEL

By: erik spaans

erik spaans — Sun, 11 May 2008 15:29:27 +0000

Dear Will Stevens,

Interesting subject: lay figures.

Three things.

1. In Dutch / Flemish they used to be called ‘Manneken’ , which literally means ‘little man’. This later was ‘frenchized’ into: mannequin, a word still used (though in a slightly different context).

2. Lay figures were also used for other purposes. The bigger ones proved useful for purposes of painting clothes. An elegant dress for example would be put on a doll rather than a real model. Painter Gerard ter Borch used lay figures in this way.

3. You can also see lay figures in paintings by Adriaen van Ostade (The painter in his studio, Dresden) and Wallerand Vaillant.

Cheers,

Erik Spaans

By: Will Stevens

Will Stevens — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:32:45 +0000

Here’s the poem

The Lay Figure

1. n. a mannequin or dummy;
an artist’s jointed model of the
human body. 2. n. a subservient
or insignificant person.

I sit on your oak hope chest,
life-like, bald, a cheery
wee smile on my lips, quite

nude, flowing chestnut periwig
by me side, starched waistcoat
on t’other, buckle shoes, cocked

hat, frock coat by me feet. What’s
my role, whom will I be for you today?
I’m here, ready, whate’er you choose!

I’m your meal ticket, your toy-boy, I’m
here to be manipulated, tarted, tickled!
Aye, whom will I be? Courtier or courted?

Casanova or cuckold? A maligned malingerer?
Scarlet Pimpernel or pimp? A skivvy,
a dolt, a dunderhead, a no-thing?

Christopher T. George
(Thanks Chris, and I trust you’re keeping well.)

By: Christopher T. George

Christopher T. George — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:25:56 +0000

Hi Will

Ha ha. I am flattered to see you reference my poem, “Lay Figure,” which was inspired by what I read here. Please feel free if you wish to copy the poem onto here because I am not sure how long that thread will remain at Desert Moon Review where you saw the poem.

All the best

Chris

By: Will Stevens

Will Stevens — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:02:39 +0000

If you click on to the following link you’ll see the forum for the poetry workshop of the Desert Moon review. There’s a nice poem there by Christopher T George which includes a link to this very article at the end so pop along to …http://68.178.150.189/discus/messages/8407/26383.html?1192888882

By: Will Stevens

Will Stevens — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:56:40 +0000

Thanks for that Robbie!

By: robbie

robbie — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 08:18:02 +0000

Thanks.. any opportunity to draw is welcome, but I am just a bit too far to get to your classes. I work with models a lot in my studio, and try to draw something or other every day. “No day without a line,”- Whistler.. “Draw draw draw,” - Michelangelo.
I had been looking out for lay figures for years, and eventually a couple of them arrived.. you are right that they are very rare - the Italian painter Annigoni had three in his studio in Florence that I got to know when I was working with him years ago, and there is one in Buckingham Palace that I have seen (and used actually..)
I also have a couple of flayed plaster casts, ie anatomical figures in plaster that were traditionally used for studying drawing , and are very useful for drawing practice..
apart from that it is possible to take turns sitting for each other, and if all else fails, draw yourself..
but the important thing is to draw from life, not from photographs etc.. to use photographs is to misunderstand completely the essence of drawing and painting..

By: Caroline

Caroline — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:36:29 +0000

Robbie Wraith’s web site is really worth a look. I really liked the paintings with the lay figures, especially the study featuring two of them. I see what you mean about Robbie not neeing to attend life classes, his work is superb.

By: Will Stevens

Will Stevens — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 18:08:03 +0000

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment Robbie. I’m curious as to where you got the lay figures from, perhaps you could leave another comment. ( Robbie doesn’t come to the life drawing sessions. His work is so amazing I’d be suprised if he needs to. Check his website out if you have the time!)

By: robbie

robbie — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 08:47:25 +0000

about lay figures, i have a couple of full size ones and and use them often in paintings.. there are a couple of paintings of them on this page if you are interested - http://www.robbiewraith.com/paintings.html

By: Will

Will — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 23:09:03 +0000

Thanks for that interesting and helpful comment Caroline. Considering how popular lay figures were supposed to be once upon a time it’s hard to find a lot of detailed information on the subject. Perhaps they were considered to be something of a “neccessary evil”, rather like working from photographs and therefore artist’s weren’t keen to admit to using them . I get the impression from the Woman’s Hour podcast that the Packwood House figure must have been lying around for a long time without anybody having a clear idea as to what it was. It would be interesting to know how many others there are knocking around in Country Houses in similar circumstances, probably not many, but one or two I’d bet! (Apparently in 1763 there was a Simon Henekin listed in Mortimers Directory in Edward Street Soho who is listed as being “eminent for making laymen for painters”). Incidently, if anyone else would like to comment on this or anything else on these pages please feel free