Vitruvian Man Project: Exploring Human Proportions

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, commonly referred to as Vitruvius, was a Roman architect who lived in the first century B.C. His influential ten-volume treatise, De Architectura (On Architecture), is known from a surviving eighth-century copy, although the original illustrations are missing.  

Vitruvius asserted that architecture should align with the proportions of a man, providing numerous descriptions of these proportions. For example, he noted that "... the face, from the chin to the top of the forehead, is a tenth part of the height of the whole body."  

Leonardo da Vinci studied Vitruvius's texts, leading him to create a drawing based on Vitruvius's descriptions, known as The Vitruvian Man. This iconic drawing is celebrated worldwide.  

Leonardo also contributed his own observations on human proportions, significantly expanding upon Vitruvius's writings. Some of Leonardo's assertions may seem quirky; for instance, he claimed that the distance from the back edge of the ear to the back of the head equals the distance from the parting of the lips to the underside of the chin. Among his more recognized ideas is that a man stands eight heads tall.  

Like many art historians who regard him as one of the greatest artists and thinkers of all time, I have long admired Leonardo's work. However, I have often pondered: how accurate are Leonardo's claims about human proportions when compared to the principles laid out by Vitruvius?  

In collaboration with photographers, especially Rocco Lofaro Buonpane, I have been documenting men and measuring their proportions. I then use Photoshop to overlay grids, circles, and other tools to evaluate how these measurements align with Leonardo's interpretations of the universal man as influenced by Vitruvius.  

About me: With a background in fine arts and architecture, I recently served as the Director of Exhibitions at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art in New York City. Now semi-retired, I am working part-time as a curator while also dedicating time to my personal projects.

Thank you for visiting my Vitruvian-inspired website. 

Rob Hugh Rosen