Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Da Vinci

One of our most popular fine art prints is Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Da Vinci.  It’s definitely an iconic drawing, and fits in nicely with a variety of home and office decor (especially fitting an architect style).  Do you know the history of the art piece? (see details below image)

SHOP fine art prints, posters and canvas editions of Vitruvian Man

Created by Da Vinci in the year 1487, the Vitruvian Man is accompanied by notes based on the work of  Vitruvius. The drawing, which is in pen and ink on paper, depicts a male figure in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and 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 stored in the Gallerie dell’ Accademia in Venice Italy, and, like most works on paper, is displayed only occasionally.

The drawing is based on the correlations of ideal human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius. Vitruvius described the human figure as being the principal source of proportion among the Classical orders of architecture. Other artists had attempted to depict the concept, with less success. The drawing is traditionally named in honour of the architect.