Postures: Body Language in Art

This copiously illustrated book, by the ever-provocative Desmond Morris, is a pioneering and lively exploration of the importance of body language in how we understand art.

Every time an artist portrays a human subject, a decision has to be made about the posture of the figure. Will they be standing, sitting, or reclining? Smiling, screaming, or weeping?

Never before given such dedicated attention, Postures argues that the gestures portrayed in a work of art can reflect the mores of a particu...