Proportional Diagrams of the Male Figure: Rear View

An anatomical woodcut illustrates the proportions of a male figure viewed from the back. This is part of Albrecht Dürer's study on the human form. To the left of the figure, a complex measurement system uses vertical lines and fractional notations such as 1/10, 1/30, and 1/8. The main vertical axis is marked with the letters I, f, g, s, and b at various heights. The drawing includes symbols on the body: a decorative whorl on the back of the head, the number 4 on the upper back, the number 8 on the buttocks, and the letter H on each calf. The letter A appears on both sides of the figure's feet. Text labels in Early New High German designate the anatomical landmarks corresponding to these measurements.

Top of the head
The back whorl original: "hind wirbel," referring to the crown of the head where the hair swirls
Forehead

Eyebrows
Nose
Chin

Height of the shoulder
Height of the pit of the neck original: "halßs grübleins," the suprasternal notch at the base of the throat
The chest
The armpits
Nipple
Under the chest

In the flanks
At the navel
The hip joint

End of the hip
At the genitals original: "scham," referring here to the pubic region or pelvic floor level

End of the genitals
End of the buttocks

Indentation of the leg the natural tapering or hollow of the thigh

Above the knee

Middle of the knee
Under the knee

End of the outer calf
End of the inner calf

Height of the instep on the foot
End of the ankle bone on the shinbone
Soles

top of the headoriginal: "Scheitel", foreheadoriginal: "Stirn", eyebrowsoriginal: "Augpraun", noseoriginal: "Nasen", chinoriginal: "Kin", shoulderoriginal: "Achsel", chestoriginal: "Brust", naveloriginal: "Nabel", hiporiginal: "Hüfte", genitalsoriginal: "Scham", kneeoriginal: "Knie", calvesoriginal: "Waden", shinboneoriginal: "Schienbein", proportionsoriginal: "Proportionen", anatomyoriginal: "Anatomie"