Did Leonardo da Vinci Copy his Famous 'Vitruvian Man'?

LiveScience ^ | 1/31/12 | Natalie Wolchover

[presidio9]

Leonardo da Vinci's drawing of a male figure perfectly inscribed in a circle and square, known as the "Vitruvian Man," illustrates what he believed to be a divine connection between the human form and the universe. Beloved for its beauty and symbolic power, it is one of the most famous images in the world. However, new research suggests that the work, which dates to 1490, may be a copy of an earlier drawing by Leonardo's friend.

Another illustration of a divinely proportioned man — the subject is Christ-like, but the setting is strikingly similar to Leonardo's — has been discovered in a forgotten manuscript in Ferrara, Italy. Both drawings are depictions of a passage written 1,500 years earlier by Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect, in which he describes a man's body fitting perfectly inside a circle (the divine symbol) and inside a square (the earthly symbol). It was a geometric interpretation of the ancient belief that man is a "microcosm": a miniature embodiment of the whole universe. Leonardo and other scholars revived this vainglorious notion during the Italian Renaissance.

After decades of study, Claudio Sgarbi, an Italian architectural historian who discovered the lesser known illustration of the Vitruvian man in 1986, now believes it to be the work of Giacomo Andrea de Ferrara, a Renaissance architect, expert on Vitruvius, and close friend of Leonardo's. What's more, Sgarbi believes Giacomo Andrea probably drew his Vitruvian man first, though the two men are likely to have discussed their mutual efforts. Sgarbi will lay out his arguments in a volume of academic papers to be published this winter, Smithsonian Magazine reports.

The key arguments are as follows: In Leonardo's writings, he mentions "Giacomo Andrea's Vitruvius" — seemingly a direct reference to the illustrated Ferrara manuscript. Secondly,

[brownsfan]

“Not something you should be proud to share.”

Says you!

Makes me think of when my son was 8 years old. I’ll think of the turtles and smile.

[newheart]

I should have called him da Vinci.

Nope, Leonardo is correct, despite the inevitable conjured image of a Ninja turtle. "Da Vinci" is simply where he was from.

[katana]

Black is part of the OSU color scheme as background to the scarlet and grey and it’s a popular color for OSU jackets and sweatshirts. Woody’s iconic ball cap was solid black and the striping on the helmets, jersey cuffs, and pants striping includes black and white too. I know we’re despised by 99% of everybody else, but we do like our Buckeye colors and feel they are distinctive.

[Romulus]

There are lots of renditions of Vitruvian Man, both before and after Leonardo. The proportions, originally outlined by Vitruvius, are not philosophical statements, but mere observations that come very naturally to any classical architect. It’s been a while since I’ve read V., but I recall him to be a very practically-minded fellow.

[Bender2]

Re: Leonardo da Vinci's drawing of a male figure perfectly inscribed in a circle and square, known as the "Vitruvian Man," illustrates what he believed to be a divine connection between the human form and the universe

Gadzooks! No big deal at all-- Here's how I square my... circular, shiny metal a$$!

By the way--

[Alamo-Girl]

Anyhoot, it should be clear that Leonardo's rendition is clearly the superior work. So what's the problem?

Indeed. Thank you for sharing your insights, dearest sister in Christ!

[Mind-numbed Robot]

I thought Lincoln doodled that on the back of an envelope during a train ride.