> as lemmas

1606 H. Peacham Art of Drawing 20 The ouerlipp is best showen by a shadow cast ouer the crosse line as you see: which shadowe and crosse line if you drawe by the life muste bee hit at an heyres breadth.

1662 J. Evelyn Sculptura iv. 38 But to proceed, Albert [Durer] being very young set forth our Lady, some designes of Horses after the life, [etc.].

1689 London Gaz. No. 2420/4 Two Medals, One of his Highness the Prince of Orange, done by the Life.

1714 R. Hunter Androboros i. ii. 6 Keeper. The Rogue is a good Painter. Deputy. He draws from the Life, I assure you.

1766 I. Bickerstaff Plain Dealer ii. ii. 24 I draw from the life, cousin; paint every one in their proper colours.

1816 Dance of Death 7 He was drawing a figure after the life.

1859 T. J. Gullick & J. Timbs Painting 312 The study from ‘the Life’.

1896 G. Saintsbury Hist. 19th Cent. Lit. i. 5 It is not true, as Wordsworth and others have said, that Dryden himself could not draw from the life.

1938 D. C. Peattie Prairie Grove xxxvii. 268 There is Audubon's plate, painted from the life with every nacreous gleam of a pinion.

1962 A. Brookner tr. J. P. Crespelle Fauves v. 156 Forcing them to spend many tedious hours copying plaster casts before allowing them to draw from the life.

2005 New Statesman (Nexis) 4 July The Prime Minister does not appear in this magnificent collection of 60 Rowson cartoons, drawn from the life at the tables of the Gay Hussar.