Download Vitruvian Man

Vitruvian Man
The Vitruvian Man is a famous drawing
with accompanying notes by Leonardo da
Vinci made around the year 1492 in one of
his journals. It depicts a naked male
figure in two superimposed positions with
his arms and legs simultaneously
inscribed in a circle and square. The
drawing and text are sometimes called the
Canon of Proportions or less often,
Proportions of Man. It is on display in
the Gallerie dell’ Accademia in Venice,
Italy.
This image exemplified the blend of art
and science during the Renaissance time
period and provides an example of
Leonardo’s keen interest in proportion
Renaissance – What does it mean? Rebirth
What time was it in history? 200 years
between 1400 and 1600
What was happening in this time period?
It was an age of discovery and exploration; searching for sea routes to Asia;
colonization of what is now the America’s; knowledge was spread by the invention of
printing; focus on mathematics; role of the Catholic church was changing
In the arts, there were new techniques in art, poetry and architecture that led to a radical
change in style; Vitruvian Man is an example of the blend of art and science during
this time; painters, sculptors, architects were looking for greater knowledge;
There was also an interest in humanism – focus on human dignity and potential and
living well in the present; importance of the individual; revival of classical forms which
were originally from the Greeks
Artists were no longer merely artists, they became very important in finding new
solutions to visual problems:
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scientific experiment drawings that used math and linear perspectives;
3D paintings – gave people a ‘window to the world’
realism which created lifelike forms of people and animals; blend of art and
science
Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519 lived to be 67 years old)
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The ‘archetype’ of the Renaissance man – a man infinitely curious and
equally inventive;
One of the greatest painters of all time
Born and raised in Vinci, Italy
When he was 4 years old he saw a hurricane destroy a village and never
forgot the power of nature
At 12 years old, he became an apprentice at a studio near Florence
Much more than a painter – he was an architect, botanist, sculptor, engineer,
inventor, mathematician, and even a musician;
He once said, “Things of the mind left untested by the senses are useless” –
he left little untested!
Did you know he invented scissors?
He designed canals, bridges, cathedrals and other buildings
He studied anatomy, cut up cadaviars, made sketches for doctors of the
layout of muscle and bone – that are still studied today
Made sketches of working machinery like a helicopter, a tank, a calculator,
and how to use solar power!
It would be 300-400 years later before his ideas were improved upon
1490 Pen and Paper sketch
Vitruvius was a real person who lived long before da Vinci (1st century BC).
He was the first Roman architect to write an engineering handbook of
standard proportions for building that everyone used. Da Vinci named this
painting after him.
Project
To draw or paint something well, you must dissect it and learn every aspect of its form.
What we may think of as scientific mumbo-jumbo can actually make us better artists.
How can we let science be our muse?
If you like to draw people, take a long look at Leonardo's Vitruvian Man and draw your
own version. Also try making diagrams for babies and children.
Draw your own hand - drawing the bones themselves.
Take apart something mechanical like an old VHS tape, a broken radio, or a retractable
pen and draw the pieces.
Find simple machines and draw them. Remember to diagram the different parts.