Charles Landseer, R.A. (London 1799-1879)
Charles Landseer, R.A. (London 1799-1879)

A group of fourteen écorché human figure studies including: Studies of the bones and tendons of a leg and foot, after Haydon; Two studies of an écorché head and neck after Haydon; A cast of an écorché foot, seen from the side; Studies of an arm, hand and head (recto) and a study of a male nude by Haydon (verso); Two views of an écorché head, from a cast by Bouchardon; A study of the muscles of a ribcage; Two views of an écorché leg (illustrated); The upper body of an écorché figure (illustrated); A dissected foot, showing the bones, muscles and tendons; The muscles of the upper arm, shoulder and part of the ribcage, from a dissected figure; Six studies of an arm, after Haydon; The muscles of a right arm (after Haydon, after Albinus?) (illustrated); and A leg from knee to ankle, after Haydon (illustrated)

Details
Charles Landseer, R.A. (London 1799-1879)
A group of fourteen écorché human figure studies including: Studies of the bones and tendons of a leg and foot, after Haydon; Two studies of an écorché head and neck after Haydon; A cast of an écorché foot, seen from the side; Studies of an arm, hand and head (recto) and a study of a male nude by Haydon (verso); Two views of an écorché head, from a cast by Bouchardon; A study of the muscles of a ribcage; Two views of an écorché leg (illustrated); The upper body of an écorché figure (illustrated); A dissected foot, showing the bones, muscles and tendons; The muscles of the upper arm, shoulder and part of the ribcage, from a dissected figure; Six studies of an arm, after Haydon; The muscles of a right arm (after Haydon, after Albinus?) (illustrated); and A leg from knee to ankle, after Haydon (illustrated)
one inscribed 'the oblique ...' (upper left), three inscribed extensively with a key to the bones and muscles
one pen and ink and grey wash, three pencil, black and red chalk, two black and white chalk, one pencil and red chalk, two black and red chalk, one black, red and white chalk, two pen and black ink and red and grey wash, one pen and grey ink and brown wash, seven on buff paper, eight unframed
15 1/8 x 21¾ in. (38.4 x 55.2 cm.); and smaller; and View of a partly dissected cadaver by Thomas Landseer, after Haydon inscribed and dated 'Octr 15. 1815. [?] TL' ; (14)
Provenance
with Yvonne ffrench, London 1963.
with Sabin Galleries, London, 1981.

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Harriet West
Harriet West

Lot Essay

Another drawing by Charles Landseer of the same écorché head is in the Wellcome Library. The Wellcome study is dated 18 July 1815 (see L. Price Anderson Jun., 'Catalogue des moulages [casts] conservés á la Royal Academy of Arts de Londres', L'écorché: expérience pédagogique á l'Ecole Régionale des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, cahier no. 3, November 1976, pp. 13-33, fig. 4, and in I. Bignamini and M. Postle (eds.), The Artist's Model, Its Role in British Art from Lely to Etty, Nottingham 1991, no. 78, pp. 88-89). The Royal Academy has a copy of Edmé Bouchardon's écorché figure.

The drawing of the upper body is closely related in style to two large sheets in the Wellcome Library (562 55R and 576330i). The first of these Wellcome drawings is signed and dated 'C Landseer April 28th 181[? 5 or 8]/Windmill', indicating that it was made in the Great Windmill Street School of anatomy run by Charles Bell from 1809.

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