Can Figure Drawing Help Medical Student Education?

The figure drawing in this Art in Medicine article was created by the author as a first-year medical student attending a live model art class. We might call this work, “The Side Sleeper”. In deconstructing the anatomic axes and posturing of the model in this artwork, we get an inkling of how figure drawing might meld with improving a physician’s grasp of anatomy and kinesiology. This article will explore the developmental stages of figure drawing from childhood, moving to the development of adult artistic rendering of the human figure, and then discuss the potential impact of art education within medical education.