iSculpt.org

I recently came across a book by a German author named Gottfried Bammes who was (and might still be) a proessor of artistic anatomy in Dresden. Mr. Bammes has written a lot of books, and many of them have been translated into English. This one, to the best of my knowledge, has not. It is called Der Nakte Mensch (Naked Humans) and from what I can judge without being able to read German, it looks to be one of the best references to human anatomy and proportions that's ever been published in any language. Though the link above says it was published in 1978, it was actually originally published in 1964 and has been re-published several times since, including 1969, 1978, and 1984. But never here in America.

The book appears to reference artwork both classic and modern, as well as the works of other authors in its pages. It contains a stunning number of images. According to one source, there are 840 anatomic figures and photographs of 190 separate models of all ages and builds. It contains extensive coverage of human proportions through the entire life cycle:

It also contains detailed anatomical illustrations and cross-sections, often accompanied by photographs of the same body part at the same angle for comparison. Photographs are used to show proportions and surface landmarks, and also to show center of balance and distribution of weight and effects of movement. The models used cover a spectrum of body types and ages, which is refreshing, though they are all white. Physically fit models are used to show musculature as you would expect:

but other models are used to illustrate important points, such as where fat tends to accumulate on the body and the effect of aging. There are pictures of many poses that were obviously chosen specifically to show anatomical implications of movement, and there are many places where a combination of images, illustrations and classic artwork are used to illustrate and reinforce a single point.

I only wish I could read German or somebody would translate Mensch into English. It's a treasure even without knowing what the words say.