vitruvianman

PARIS, FRANCE – A new analysis suggests Leonardo da Vinci‘s iconic “Vitruvian Man” drawing isn’t just a work of art, but a presentation of a basic geometric principle governing human anatomy – the Bonwill Triangle – previously used in dental studies.The research, published in the Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, potentially solves a 500-year-old mystery surrounding the proportions described by the Roman architect Vitruvius.

Vitruvius, in his treatise De Architectura written around 27 BC, posited that the human body is perfectly proportioned and can be inscribed within a circle and a square.However, he didn’t detail the specific geometric method to achieve this. For centuries, scholars have sought to understand how da Vinci visually represented this concept in his famous drawing, created around 1490.

Dr. Swinee (full name not provided in source), the researcher behind the new analysis, argues that da Vinci’s inclusion of a “side triangle” between the legs of the figure in the Vitruvian man is a key clue. The study connects this triangle to the Bonwill triangle, a geometric relationship identified by American dentist Orville Bonwill (1856-1926) in the late 19th century. Bonwill used this triangle to determine the ideal dimensions for dental prosthetics, based on the natural proportions of the human jaw.

The Bonwill Triangle is formed by connecting the apex of the nose to the corners of the mouth. The research suggests da Vinci intuitively understood and visually represented this same geometric principle in the overall proportions of the human body, linking it to optimal anatomical function.

Da Vinci’s work extended far beyond the Vitruvian Man. He afterward created “The Last Supper” (circa 1495-1498) in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy, and the “Mona Lisa” (begun circa 1503) which now resides in the Louvre Museum, Paris, attracting over 6 million visitors annually. Da Vinci’s diverse talents encompassed sculpture, architecture, music, mathematics, engineering, invention, anatomy, geology, cartography, and botany.