Vitruvian Man and Yin and Yang Symbol
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Vitruvian Man |
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c. 1490 |
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Pen and ink with wash over metalpoint |
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The Vitruvian Man is a drawing created by Leonardo da Vinci circa 1490.[1] It is accompanied by notes based on the work of the architect Vitruvius. The drawing, which is in pen and ink on paper, depicts a 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 stored in the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, Italy, and, like most works on paper, is displayed only occasionally.[2][3]
The drawing is based on the correlations of ideal human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise De Architectura. Vitruvius described the human figure as being the principal source of proportion among the Classical orders of architecture. Vitruvius determined that the ideal body should be eight heads high. Leonardo's drawing is traditionally named in honor of the architect.
This article is about the visual design element appearing in both Chinese and European history. For the symbolic meaning of the "supreme ultimate diagrams" in earlier Chinese philosophy and Taoism, see Wuji (philosophy) and Yin Yang. For the "supreme ultimate" or "primordial universe" in later Neo-Confucianist cosmology, see Taiji (philosophy).
Classic Taoist taijitu of 'fish-like' shape
Taijitu (Traditional Chinese: 太極圖; Simplified Chinese: 太极图; Wade-Giles: t'ai⁴chi²t'u²;Pinyin: tàijítú; rough English translation: “diagram of ultimate power”) is a term which refers to a Chinese symbol for the concept of yin and yang (Taiji). It is the universal symbol of the religion known as Taoism and is also often used by non-Taoists to represent the concept of opposites existing in harmony. The taijitu consists of a symmetrical pattern inside a circle. One common pattern has an S-shaped line that divides the circle into two equal parts of different colors. The pattern may have one or more large dots. The classic Taoist taijitu, for example, is black and white with a black dot upon the white background, and a white dot upon the black background.
Patterns similar to the taijitu also form part of Celtic, Etruscan and Roman iconography, where they are loosely referred to as yin yang symbol by modern scholars however no relationship between these and the Chinese symbol has been established.
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