Vitruvian Man
Leonardo da Vinci's iconic study of ideal human proportions.
Leonardo da Vinci created the Vitruvian Man around 1490, a drawing inspired by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius. It shows a nude man in two overlapping poses, enclosed by a circle and a square. Art historian Carmen C. Bambach called it "justly ranked among the all-time iconic images of Western civilization." Although other artists also made drawings based on Vitruvius, Leonardo’s version stands out for blending artistic skill with scientific study, and it is often seen as a defining work of the High Renaissance.
The drawing is known by several names. Leonardo’s own notes refer to it as *Le proporzioni del corpo umano secondo Vitruvio*, which translates to *The Proportions of the Human Figure after Vitruvius* or *Proportional Study of a Man in the Manner of Vitruvius*. It is most commonly called the Vitruvian Man. Art historian Carlo Pedretti lists it as *Homo Vitruvius*, sometimes with a longer description.
Leonardo made the drawing with pen and light-brown ink, plus traces of brown wash. The paper is 34.4 cm by 25.5 cm, larger than most of his folio sheets, and its edges are uneven. The work is carefully prepared, with no sketchy or tentative lines. He used metalpoint, calipers, and a compass to create precise lines and small tick marks for measurements. These compass marks reveal an inner structure of measured intervals alongside the geometric shapes.
The image shows a nude man facing forward, inside both a square and a circle. He appears in two stances at once: an "X" pose with arms stretched diagonally and legs apart, so his hands and feet touch the circle centered on his navel; and a "T" pose with arms horizontal and legs together, so his hands, head, and feet touch the square’s perimeter. Scholar Carlo Vecce notes this captures multiple phases of movement, like a photograph. The man’s fingers and toes are arranged not to break the shapes. Commentators observe that Leonardo made an artistic depiction, not a simple diagram. Biographer Walter Isaacson says the delicate lines, intimate stare, and intricate hair curls "weaves together the human and the divine." Pedretti finds similarities between the man and the angel in Leonardo’s earlier *Annunciation* painting.
The text above the drawing, written in mirror writing, reads: "The proportions of the human body according to Vitruvius." Below it, the text continues with further notes on proportion.
V
- Artist
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Date
- c. 1490
- Medium
- Pen and light-brown ink with traces of brown wash (watercolor)
- Dimensions
- 34.4 cm × 25.5 cm (13.5 in × 10.0 in)
- Location
- Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice
- Subject
- Ideal human proportions after Vitruvius
Lore & Background
The drawing illustrates Leonardo's study of ideal human proportions, derived from Vitruvius but refined through his own observations, contemporary works, and the treatise De pictura by Leon Battista Alberti. Created in Milan, the Vitruvian Man likely passed to his student Francesco Melzi, and later to Venanzio de Pagave, who encouraged engraver Carlo Giuseppe Gerli to publish an engraving of it, spreading the image widely. It was then owned by Giuseppe Bossi, before being acquired in 1822 by the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, where it remains. Because of its fragility, the drawing is rarely displayed. It was loaned to the Louvre in 2019 for the 500th anniversary of Leonardo's death.
The drawing was executed primarily with pen and light-brown ink, while there are traces of brown wash. The paper measures 34.4 cm × 25.5 cm, larger than most of Leonardo's folio manuscript sheets. Close examination reveals it was meticulously prepared, devoid of 'sketchy and tentative' lines. Leonardo used metalpoint with a calipers and compass to make precise lines, and small tick marks were used for measurements. The Vitruvian Man depicts a nude man facing forward, surrounded by a square and a circle. The man is portrayed in different stances simultaneously: an 'X' pose and a 'T' pose. The scholar Carlo Vecce notes that this approach displays multiple phases of movement at once, akin to a photograph.
Reader's Guide
The Vitruvian Man is significant as a synthesis of art and science during the High Renaissance. Leonardo's version corrected inaccuracies in Vitruvius's account, particularly related to the head, due to use of book two of the De pictura by Leon Battista Alberti. Earlier drawings of the same subject 'assumed that the circle and square should be centered around the navel,' akin to Vitruvius's account, while Leonardo made the scheme work by using the man's genitals as the center of the square, and the navel as the center of the circle. The drawing's legacy is tied to its widespread dissemination through an engraving by Carlo Giuseppe Gerli, and its acquisition by the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice in 1822. It remains one of the most recognizable images in Western art, though rarely displayed due to fragility. Some commentators have speculated that Leonardo incorporated the golden ratio, but there has been doubt over the accuracy of such an observation. The drawing is almost always dated to around 1490 during his first Milanese period, though exact dating is not completely agreed upon.
Did You Know?
- The drawing is described by Leonardo's notes as 'Le proporzioni del corpo umano secondo Vitruvio,' variously translated as 'The Proportions of the Human Figure after Vitruvius.'
- The paper measures 34.4 cm × 25.5 cm, larger than most of Leonardo's folio manuscript sheets.
- The drawing was loaned to the Louvre in 2019 for the 500th anniversary of Leonardo's death.
- Leonardo used the man's genitals as the center of the square and the navel as the center of the circle, correcting Vitruvius's account.
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