what is the symbolism of the square in the virtuvian man?

Answer 1

It is there to show that the width of a man's outsteched arms (finger tip to finger tip) is equal to his height.

Answer 2

Square is like the number 4. It is a step into order because it takes two 2's to make four. It is 2X2 and 2+2 showing its innate relation to the number 2. 2 is a number that symbolizes pure opposites like Something and Nothing. Squares are the foundations of buildings, it takes 4 points to define three dimensions, there are 4 cardinal directions, there are 4 elements, 4 sides to a pyramid, and the 4th element is always Earth which comprises the other 3. 2 circles drawn through each other's center define 2 squares placed on top of each other. See this website and scroll down to see the way that 2 circles form a square: http://www.anselm.edu/homepage/dbanach/31-drawing.htm

It is a number of stability and represents the element Earth. Our body is our temple. It is easy from these two statements to deduce why Leonardo encased the Vitruvian Man inside a square.

And yes, it is also to show that fingertip-to-fingertip is approximately the same length as head to toe, and this is a nice manifestation of the truth of the Mystery.

Answer 3

OOOOOh I'm exasperated. There is no symbolism of the square.!!! The Vitruvian Man is a treatise on the proportions of the male body. Da Vinci simply wanted to show how his man related both to the circle and the square. He liked to study geometry among many other things. I hope you're not getting drawn into The Da Vinci Code's mysterious symbology. There certainly are many symbols in Renaissance art, most art come to that, but they are not secret. People who were around at the time knew what the symbols meant as those of us who study art history do now.

The proportions of the human body in the manner of Vitruvius (The Vitruvian Man) c1490
This iconic drawing illustrates Leonardo’s own interpretation of Vitruvius’ written account of how the ideal proportions of man, with arms and legs outstretched, would fit into the geometric forms of the square and the circle. In order to achieve a coherent solution, Leonardo chose to adjust the relationship between the circle and the square - only the centre of the circle coincides with the navel, while the centre of the square is located somewhat lower.

In this drawing, he corrected inconsistencies in Vitruvius’ measurements of the human figure, guided by his own observations and deductions based on the study of life models. Through the precision of his own measurements, he created an image that is accepted as a true representation of Vitruvius’ findings, and a perfectly credible albeit constructed image of the ideal proportions of the human figure.

Answer 4

ask Robert Langdon.