Vitruvian Man

and Divine Proportion

Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man taking a fixed module, in each case, both
was originally an illustration for a book on for the parts of a building and for the
the works of the Roman architect Marcus whole, by which the method of symmetry
Vitruvius Pollio (first century BCE), who is put to practice. For without symmetry
designed many of the most beautiful and proportion no temple can have a
temples in Rome. In his ten-volume work, regular plan; that is, it must have an exact
De Architectura, Vitruvius established the proportion worked out after the fashion
guidelines for classic Roman architecture. of the members of a finely shaped human
Describing how a temple should be body.’’
planned and built, Vitruvius wrote: In this passage is found the key to the
“The planning of temples depends composition of ancient architecture, which
upon symmetry: and the method of this was firmly revived in the Renaissance.
architects must diligently apprehend. It Echoing the ancient Greeks, the human
arises from proportion (which in Greek body was seen as symbolic of all Nature,
is called analogia). Proportion consists of the microcosm reflecting the macrocosm.
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 Thus Nature, in the form of the human Nature as follows: that is that 4 fingers
body, was to be the architect’s (or the make 1 palm, and 4 palms make 1 foot, 6
artist’s) guide. In this form of architecture palms make 1 cubit; 4 cubits make a man’s
(or art, engineering, or planning, etc.) height. And 4 cubits make one pace and
the science of geometry is employed by 24 palms make a man; and these measures
means of small whole numbers to build he used in his buildings. If you open your
the composition. In this manner, Vitruvius legs so much as to decrease your height
delineated the proportion of a male 1-1/4 and spread and raise your arm still
human body that Leonardo so faithfully your middle fingers touch the level of the
reproduced in his Vitruvian Man. top of your head, you must know that the
Obviously this drawing contains center of the outspread limbs will be in
many layers of geometry and symbolism. the navel and the space between the legs
The idea of reason governing form was will be an equilateral triangle.
a fundamental theme of the Renaissance
“The length of a man’s outspread
and is apparent in the most evocative
arms is equal to his height. From the roots
architecture and art throughout the
of the hair to the botrom of the chin is the
period. As in Michael Maier’s twenty­
tenth of a man’s height; from the bottom
first emblem and epigram from Atalanta
Fugiens, the circle, square, and an invisible of the chin to the top of his head is one
triangle – all three fundamental elements eighth of his height; from the top of the
of composition – figure prominently breast to the top of his head will be one
in Vitruvian Man. While the circle and sixth of a man. From the top of the breast
square are readily apparent, the triangle to the roots of the hair will be the seventh
is concealed in this drawing, although part of the whole man. From the nipples
it outlines important parts. To find the to the top of the head will be the fourth
triangle, use your imagination to draw part of a man. The greatest width of the
a circle within the square. Then draw shoulders contains in itself the fourth part
an upward­ pointing triangle within the of the man. From the elbow to the tip of
imaginary circle – the top of the triangle the hand will be the fifth part of a man;
touching the square at the top of the and from the elbow to the angle of the
man’s head – the crown chakra. Now, armpit will be the eighth part of the man.
Leonardo’s intriguing sketch takes on even The whole hand will be the tenth part of
more mystical and Rosicrucian elements, the man; the beginning of the genitals
and clearly speaks to us down through the marks the middle of the man. The foot
centuries of the laws of Divine Proportion. is the seventh part of the man. From the
Text accompanying da Vinci’s sole of the foot to below the knee will be
Vitruvian Man the fourth part of the man. From below
Following is the complete translation the knee to the beginning of the genitals
of the text accompanying Leonardo will be the fourth part of the man. The
da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. It is actually a distance from the bottom of the chin to
translation of Vitruvius, as Leonardo’s the nose and from the roots of the hair to
drawing was originally an illustration for a the eyebrows is, in each case the same, and
book on the works of Vitruvius. like the ear, a third of the face.”
Rosicrucian “Vitruvius, the architect, says in his Translation quoted from The Notebooks
Digest
No. 2 work on architecture that the measurements of Leonardo da Vinci Vol. 1 (Dover, ISBN
2018 of the human body are distributed by 0-486-22572-0), pp. 182-183.
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