From the Introduction. Helvetius, in 1758, in an essay on "The Mind," quoted by H. T. Buckle in his "Introduction to the History of Civilization," maintains as an incontrovertible fact that the difference between man and animal is a result of the difference in their external form; that if for example the wrists instead of ending in hands with flexible fingers had ended like a horse's hoof, man would have remained a wanderer on the face of the earth among the animals, ignorant of every art and entirely defenseless; that this structure-the hand-is the sole cause of our superiority. Ever since the genesis of the human race, the hand has been the indispensible instrument of its continued advance. About the creations of this hand, in science and in art, an endless succession of volumes has been written; to the hand, also, many scientific works are devoted; but the writer has not discovered a single volume devoted exclusively to the depicting of the hand. It is the purpose of this work to present the hand not only to the eye, but to the understanding.

The hand is second only to language in defining the human being, and its constant presence makes it a ready reminder of our humanity, with all its privileges and obligations. In this dazzling collection, Cole Swensen explores the hand from any angle approachable by language and art. Her hope: to exhaust the hand as subject matter; her joy: the fact that she couldn’t. These short poems reveal the hand from a hundred different perspectives. Incorporating sign language, drawing manuals, paintings from the 14th to the 20th century, shadow puppets, imagined histories, positions (the “hand as a boatless sail”), and professions (“the hand as window in which the panes infinitesimal”), Cole Swensen’s fine hand is “that which augments” our understanding and appreciation of “this freak wing,” this “wheel that comforts none” yet remains “a fruit the size and shape of the heart.”

In 1927, the leading art schools of the United States were invited to participate in a contest sponsored by the Art Students League of New York. A well-known artist and teacher, George B. Bridgman, directed the jury that selected the best figure drawings. Afterward, Bridgman assembled this splendid gallery of the best images from the competition. Intermediate-level students will benefit from the study of these complete and detailed drawings. Sketches in charcoal, pencil, wash, pen and ink, and crayon include a tremendous variety of styles, poses, and techniques. In addition to its value as a handbook, this collection also offers an authentic reflection of the era's excellent draftsmanship.

The most comprehensive book ever published on drawing hands uses a revolutionary system for visualizing the hand in an almost infinite number of positions.