It costs an arm and leg

Have you ever wondered where some of the expressions and cliches come from that we use? The subject fascinates me to no end.

I heard this one the other day from a friend. It seems that during the Renaissance,  portrait painting was all the rage. Even people of ordinary means would strive to have their portraits painted by artists.

 The cost of having such a painting done was contingent upon the pose used by the model because certain perspectives and parts of the body are easier to draw than others. Arms and legs happen to fall into the more difficult category, so if someone had a portrait done that showed an arm or a leg  it was likely to be quite expensive; hence the expression.