Pre-recorded Lecture: Leonardo da Vinci and the Vitruvian Man
Readings:
- Walter Isaacson. (2017) Leonardo da Vinci: The Biography. (Selections)
- Kenneth D. Keele. (1983) Leonardo da Vinci’s Elements of the Science of Man. (chs. 6,7, and 12)
Optional:
- Filarete, Trattato di Architettura (c. 1464)
Begin with the reading by Isaacson this week for a good introduction to what Leonardo was doing and who he was interacting with when he made the Vitruvian Man drawing. Then dive into Keele’s analysis of Leonardo’s studies of the physiology of the human body. I have also included some selections from the architectural treatise by Antonio Averlino, who published under the pseudonym Filarete (“Lover of Virtue”). The treatise takes the form of a rambling dialogue in 24 books wherein Filarete instructs a prince on the mysteries of architecture. Some scholars have described it as “novelistic” and Giorgio Vasari, biographer of Renaissance artists, called it utter nonsense.
Links to readings: Isaacson. Leonardo da Vinci Biography; Keele. Leonardo Elements of the Science of Man; Filarete Treatise on Architecture
Asychronous Assignment: Response to the Vitruvian Man Drawing
In 300-500 words please describe how learning more about the context in which this famous drawing was made has changed what you think of it. So that you can see one another’s responses, I have uploaded an image of the drawing with a transcription of the text to Hypothes.is. You can only highlight the text, unfortunately, so please select what you find to be either an important or interesting aspect of the text (which may or may not pertain to a feature of the image) and then make your comment.
Synchronous Discussion:
- Close analysis of the Vitruvian Man
- Historicizing the drawing
- New perspectives?