The
human figure has been the subject of drawings since prehistoric times. While
the studio practices of the artists of antiquity are largely a matter of
conjecture, that they often drew and modeled from nude models is suggested by
the anatomical sophistication of their works.
An anecdote related by Pliny describes how Zeuxis reviewed
the young women of Agrigentum naked before selecting five whose features he
would combine in order to paint an ideal image. The use of nude models in the
medieval artist's workshop is implied in the writings of Cennino Cennini, and a
manuscript of Villard de Honnecourt confirms that sketching from life was an
established practice in the 13th century. The Carracci, who opened their
Accademia degli Incamminati in Bologna in the 1580s, set the pattern for later
art schools by making life drawing the central discipline. The course of
training began with the copying of engravings, then proceeded to drawing from
plaster casts, after which the students were trained in drawing from the live
model.
In the late 18th century, students in Jacques-Louis David's
studio followed a rigorous program of instruction. Mastery in drawing was
considered a prerequisite to painting. For about six hours each day, students
drew from a model who remained in the same pose for one week. Before the late
19th century, women were generally not admitted to figure drawing classes.
