{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.artistic-canon-of-body-proportions","code":"thing-q1321686","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q1321686/","name":"artistic canon of body proportions","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.2","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Cross-cutting context","entryKind":"thing","plane":"XCT","domain":["XCT.REL"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A set of rules or ideal ratios used by artists to represent the proportions of the human body, such as the Egyptian grid, the Greek canons of Polykleitos and Lysippos, the Vitruvian proportions revived in the Renaissance, and academic head-height systems, along with differing canons in other traditions; canons express cultural ideals rather than average anatomy and guide drawing, sculpture and design.","purpose":"Let an agent explain artistic canons of body proportion across cultures and periods with attribution, support their use in drawing and design, and distinguish them from anatomical measurement.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Idealised","Rule-based","Tradition-specific","Art-practical"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What canons are.","layers":[{"id":"concept","name":"Concept","description":"Canons versus anatomy.","findings":[{"id":"concept-finding","name":"Concept","description":"Concept.","questions":[{"text":"What is an artistic canon of proportion, and how does it differ from anatomical measurement?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Why do canons vary between cultures and periods?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"specific","name":"Specific","description":"A specific canon.","findings":[{"id":"specific-finding","name":"Specific","description":"Specific canon.","questions":[{"text":"What are the rules of this canon, such as the Polykleitan, Vitruvian or Egyptian grid, according to art historians?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits it?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"apply","name":"Apply","description":"Using canons.","layers":[{"id":"draw","name":"Draw","description":"Drawing figures.","findings":[{"id":"draw-finding","name":"Draw","description":"Drawing.","questions":[{"text":"How can a head-height canon be used to construct a figure in drawing?","kind":"action"},{"text":"How are canons adapted for children, stylisation or animation?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"design","name":"Design","description":"Design and ergonomics.","findings":[{"id":"design-finding","name":"Design","description":"Design.","questions":[{"text":"How do proportion systems relate to ergonomic and architectural systems such as the Modulor?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits anthropometry?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"traditions","name":"Traditions","description":"Canons across cultures.","layers":[{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History of canons.","findings":[{"id":"history-finding","name":"History","description":"History.","questions":[{"text":"How did canons develop from Egypt and Greece through the Renaissance to academies, according to historians?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which texts document them?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"other","name":"Other","description":"Other traditions.","findings":[{"id":"other-finding","name":"Other","description":"Other traditions.","questions":[{"text":"What canons of proportion exist in Indian, Buddhist, East Asian and other artistic traditions, in their own terms?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"How are they used today?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"reflect","name":"Reflect","description":"Ideals and teaching.","layers":[{"id":"ideals","name":"Ideals","description":"Body ideals.","findings":[{"id":"ideals-finding","name":"Ideals","description":"Ideals.","questions":[{"text":"How do canons reflect and shape body ideals, and what critiques exist, with positions attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation neutral?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"teach","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","findings":[{"id":"teach-finding","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","questions":[{"text":"How can proportion canons be taught in art education?","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which misconceptions arise?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Explain historical canons of proportion and their sources.","Help artists apply a chosen canon in drawing or sculpture."],"mustNot":["Present one canon as the correct or ideal human body.","Use a canon to rank people's bodies or races.","Misattribute a canon to the wrong artist or tradition.","Ignore canons from non-European traditions when comparing them."],"requiresHuman":["Using canons in teaching materials about body image for young people."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Ideal body canons have fed body shaming and racial hierarchies.","Different traditions deserve equal recognition."],"affectedParties":["Art students","People judged against ideals","Traditions misrepresented"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody owns them; they belong to the artistic traditions that made them.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q150117","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"body proportions","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"visual artist","type":"related","note":"users of canons"},{"target":"dimension","type":"related","note":"ratios and measures"},{"target":"applied arts","type":"related","note":"design applications"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.artistic-canon-of-body-proportions","Wikidata: Q1321686 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1321686)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":[]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Ideal ratios for figures","Culturally specific","Anthropometry measures actual bodies","Not physical; grids, ratios and head-height diagrams."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain historical canons","apply canons in drawing and design","distinguish canons from anatomy","describe cultural variation"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Treating canons as anatomical fact","Imposing one tradition canon on another","Reinforcing narrow body ideals"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["No regulation; art historical conventions"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Rules for depicting the human figure.","Egyptian grid canons","Greek classical canons","Vitruvian and Renaissance canons","academic head-height canons","canons in Indian, East Asian and other traditions"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q1321686: artistic canon of body proportions","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1321686","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Artistic canons of body proportions","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artistic_canons_of_body_proportions","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should each canon be a separate entry?","How should art historical sources be linked?","How should non-Western canons be attributed?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q1321686/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q1321686/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-11T22:05:30Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:51:54+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane XCT: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}