The Vitruvian Man

Leonardo da Vinci 's drawing of the Vitruvian Man , created around 1490, embodies the convergence of art, science, and humanist philosophy during the Renaissance. Inspired by the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvius, Leonardo explores the ideal proportions of the human body as a reflection of the harmony of the universe. The human body is inscribed within both a circle (symbolizing the divine, the cosmos) and a square (symbolizing the material, rational world), illustrating the belief that human beings are the bridge between heaven and earth.

Dessin original de Léonard da Vinci de l'Homme de Vitruve, tiré de ses carnets de travail

This drawing goes beyond a simple anatomical study: it testifies to a quest for unity between body and mind, between nature and geometry, between man and the universe. Leonardo, in his approach, seeks to understand the laws that govern life, by combining empirical observation and mathematical reason. The Vitruvian Man is not only a graphic masterpiece, it is a visual manifesto of the new humanism, where the human body becomes the measure of all things. It sums up Leonardo's ambition to reveal the hidden order of the world through the study of nature and the body, in a constant dialogue between science and beauty.

Dessin de l'Homme de vitruve, utilisé pour le projet photographique comparatif

The Vitruvian Man has become an iconic symbol of the beauty of the human body because it embodies the idea of a perfect, harmonious, and proportionate body, a reflection of the natural and cosmic order. Inspired by the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvius, Leonardo da Vinci illustrates the ideal proportions of the male body: a mathematical balance between the different parts of the body, such as arm length equal to height, or the navel as the center of the circle.

This drawing makes the human body the measure of all things, according to the humanist ideal of the Renaissance, which placed man at the center of the universe. Beauty is perceived not as a simple appearance, but as the expression of an inner order, of a geometric and natural logic. The body thus becomes a microcosm of the world, a living architecture that responds to the same laws as cathedrals or planets.

The Vitruvian Man has survived through the centuries as a universal symbol of rational beauty, of the balance between strength, grace, and intelligence. It encapsulates a vision in which aesthetics derives directly from internal coherence, and where beauty is not subjective, but based on the harmony between nature and reason.

Vitruvian Man Project

I undertook a photographic approach to explore the idea that the ideal proportions of the human body, as defined by Leonardo da Vinci in The Vitruvian Man, can still resonate in contemporary bodies. After photographing a nude model in a carefully studied pose—arms and legs spread at Vitruvian angles—I then superimposed the original outline of Leonardo's drawing onto the captured image, in a process that blended aesthetics, anatomical analysis, and humanist homage.

Six different models were compared to the Vitruvian Man's outline. The first and fifth exhibit a near-perfect correspondence with Leonardo da Vinci's ideal proportions. Conversely, the sixth deviates markedly from them: its elongated torso and proportionally shorter limbs highlight a clear deviation from the Vitruvian model.

This artistic gesture questions the permanence of beauty standards: the model becomes a measuring stick, at the crossroads of art and science. The resulting images sometimes reveal a coincidence with da Vinci's drawing. This superposition allows us to emphasize that human beauty can interact with ancient standards without always conforming perfectly to them. The superposition sometimes reveals striking coincidences, sometimes subtle deviations, highlighting that human beauty can interact with ancient standards without always conforming to them. This superposition acts as a symbolic magnifying glass on the relationship between the body, history, and geometry.

The project is part of a quest for the universality of the human body through the ages, while highlighting the uniqueness of each model. It offers a contemporary interpretation of Leonardo's vision, in which photography becomes a visual laboratory of form, balance, and meaning embodied in the living body.

L'Homme de Vitruve, en représentation 3-D