Did you know that the idea of the Vitruvian Man, one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous works, belongs
to Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius – about 1453 years ago? The Vitruvian Man was conceived to be the ideal, “perfectly proportioned” man outlined by a circle and square. In Leonardo’s version, the circle and square are laid over each other and he also sketched the man with an extra set of limbs stretched outwards. Thus Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man is not only a portrayal of the ideal man but also a scientific and mathematical achievement. He helped depict the human anatomy more accurately. He also, like Vitruvius, realized that the human body could be divided into fractions (or proportions). With these proportions, he raised the position of the man’s feet by and the hands up to the level of the top of his head. These hands form the vertices of the square and da Vinci was able to draw a square that is equal in area to the circle surrounding the sketched man. In addition, the space between the legs creates an equilateral triangle. Furthermore, da Vinci delved deeper and attempted to find patterns in nature relating to this drawing in his belief that “Man is the model of the world”. (Today this drawing is kept in the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice.)
