Vitruvian Man – a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci

Vitruvian Man is one of the most famous works of the brilliant artist Leonardo da Vinci. In the drawing we see a man in two different positions. The figures are superimposed on each other, one of them is inscribed in a circle, the other – in a square. The work is intended to demonstrate the ideal proportions of the human body.

Title of the painting: “Vitruvian Man” (Latin: Homo vitruvianus).
Author: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519).
Year of writing: 1490.

Size: 34.3 x 24.5 cm.
Technique: Pen, ink and watercolor drawing.
Material: Paper.
Location: Galleria dell’Accademia, Venice.

Leonardo da Vinci is a famous Italian painter, a prominent representative of the Renaissance.

He also left his mark on history as a sculptor, writer, musician and scientist. Leonardo da Vinci was born into a family of a notary. His father wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. But the young man was carried away by art and science, and jurisprudence was not his area of ​​interest. One day, the artist studied the treatise of the ancient scientist Vitruvius “On Architecture”.

The work examined the proportions of the human body. The author, in particular, noted that a step is equal to the length of four palms, and the span of the arms is the height of a person. Having carefully studied all the calculations, Leonardo da Vinci created the “Vitruvian Man”. This work is both a work of art and a scientific work.

The drawing symbolizes the internal symmetry of the human body, and in a broader sense – the entire Universe. The “Vitruvian Man” has been closely studied by art historians. There have been repeated reports that other artists created similar drawings even before Leonardo da Vinci. But his work was recognized as the most attractive from an artistic point of view.

The Vitruvian Man played a major role in world art. The drawing became a model for subsequent generations of painters and architects.