Leonardo da Vinci's celebrated pen, ink, and wash drawing of about 1490 visualises the ideal human proportions set out by the Roman architect Vitruvius in 'De Architectura'. By superimposing two poses of a male figure inside both a circle and a square, Leonardo shows that the human body can be reconciled with the two fundamental forms of geometry — a central emblem of Renaissance humanism. Because of the fragility of the paper, the original is only very rarely displayed; most public presentations use high-fidelity reproductions.

Exhibition Venue

Gallerie dell'Accademia

Venice, Italy