Vitruvian Man
The Measure of the Universe
Leonardo da Vinci's drawing illustrating the divine geometric proportions of the human body inscribed in circle and square.
The Vitruvian Man is a world-renowned drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, based on the correlations of ideal human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius. It depicts a male figure in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart, inscribed in a circle and square. It is the ultimate symbol of the Renaissance synthesis of art and science. It posits that the workings of the human body are an analogy for the workings of the universe—the microcosm reflecting the macrocosm in perfect geometric harmony.
Light
Represents the perfect marriage of art and science, humanism, the divine proportion within humanity, and our central place in the cosmic order.
Shadow
A focus on the "ideal" proportion can lead to exclusionary standards of beauty and perfection, alienating those who fall outside mathematical norms.
