An Art Anatomical Study of the Facial Profile of Korean

Yun, Kwan Hyun; Kim, Yong Chul; Hu, Kyung Seok; Song, Wu Chul; Kim, Hee Jin; Koh, Ki Seok

Abstract

The human head form has always been one of the main interests of the visual art and its artistic representation has been different from era to era, place to place, and individual artist to artist. The proportion of the head and face used by artists is different from the actual proportion in that it was developed to represent the ideal form. Though anthropometry is useful method to establish standards, the data of anthropometry are too complex and detailed to be directly applied to the field of art. This study was performed to present the anthropometry -based standard Korean face which can be utilized in visual arts. Fourteen hundred Korean profiles (630 males and 770 females) were investigated. Ten anthropometrical landmarks were selected and the distance between these points was measured. Nine indexes were developed from these measurements. Actual size of the face was measured for 2 categories, and photographs of face was used for 10 categories including 2 non -metric traits were determined. All measured values were significantly greater in males. Lower face -upper lip index and middle face -ear index were greater in male, however ear index was greater in female. Though the sexual difference in those indexes were statistically significant, when visualized on the canvas, it cannot be distinguished male from female based on those indexes. In individual facial profile, the alare was situated in front of the line which connecting the glabella and the cheilion in 40% and 70% of male and female, respectively. The cheilion was situated in front of that line in two third of both male and female. A cheek covered the alare in 62% of female, much higher percentage compared to the 27% in male. Generally cheek of older individual had more tendency to cover the alare. Data of this study showed difference from those of the Caucasian in all 9 indexes. Especially total head height -length index and middle face -lower face index were strikingly different and can be characteristic features worth considering when visualizing Korean. The representation of Korean face has been subject to the image that the artist himself had perceived. The proportion of the profile of Korean face may be used as an important reference for artists.