1. Leonardo
Da Vinci’s
Vitruvian Man

2. The 'Vitruvian Man' is a famous drawing with accompanying notes by Leonardo da Vinci made around the year 1492 in one of his journals. It depicts a naked 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 on display in the Gallerie dell' Accademia in Venice, Italy.

3. “…the length of a man's outspread arms is equal to his height …”
According to Leonardo's notes in the accompanying text (written in mirror writing) it was made as a study of the proportions of the (male) human body as described by the Ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, who wrote that in the human body:
Arm Span
Height
“…the length of a man's outspread arms is equal to his height …”

4. Height is equal to arm span
The Vitruvian theory contains a total of 10 ratios between different parts of the body.
Can you verify four of these ratios using data collected from your class?
Here is a reminder of the first:
Height is equal to arm span
Arm Span
Height

5. 2.
Length from the elbow to the end of the hand is equal to one quarter of height
Elbow to end of hand
Height

6. Length of the hand is one tenth of height3.
Length of the hand is one tenth of height
Hand
Height 4.
Length of the foot is one seventh of height
Foot

7. Is the Vitruvian theory that height is equal to arm span true for British students today?
Complete the following tables by making the appropriate measurements of yourself and your classmates.