Statement Measurement Calculation True or False
1. The length of a man's outspread arms is equal to his height.

height = 181 cm

width = 183 cm

181 = 183 cm* True
2. From the roots of the hair to the bottom of the chin is a tenth of a man's height.

measurement=18 cm

height = 181 cm

1/10 of height = 18.1 cm True
3. From the bottom of the chin to the top of his head is one eighth of his height.

Measurement = 23 cm

height = 181 cm

1/8 of height = 22.7 True
4. The greatest width of the shoulders contains in itself the fourth part of the man.

Measurement = 49 cm

height = 181 cm

1/4 of height = 45.25 cm True
5. From the elbow to the tip of the hand will be the fifth part of a man.

Measurement = 45 cm

height = 181 cm

1/5 of height = 36.2 cm False
6. From the elbow to the angle of the armpit will be the eighth part of the man.

Measurement = 28 cm

height = 181 cm

1/8 of height = 22.7 True
7. The whole hand will be the tenth part of the man.

Measurement = 19 cm

height = 181 cm

1/10 of height = 18.1 cm True
8. The foot is the seventh part of the man.

Measurement = 26 cm

height = 181 cm

1/7 of height = 25.9 cm True
9. From the sole of the foot to below the knee will be the fourth part of the man.

Measurement = 49 cm

height = 181 cm

1/4 of height = 45.25 cm True
10. The distance from the bottom of the chin to the nose and from the roots of the hair to the eyebrows is, in each case the same, and like the ear, a third of the face.

chin to nose = 6 cm

roots to brow = 6 cm

ear = 6.3 cm

6 cm = 6 cm = 6.3 cm* True
11. The space between the legs will be an equilateral triangle. all sides equal all sides equal True

 

*As a group we decided that if a ratio was within 5 cm of Vitruvius' measurements we would accept the statement to be true, meaning our measurements resulted in the same ratio stated by Vitruvius.

We were surprised at how close the measurements from our version of Leonardo's Vitruvian Man matched those of the original. Only one ratio didn't correlate, ratio number 5. When our test subject was informed of his abnormally long forearms his reaction was that of disbelief and had no explanation for the inconsistencies. We the researchers concluded that 10 out of 11 isn't bad and considered the experiment an overwhelming success.

The following three figures detail what was measured and the measurements themselves.

 

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Back to The Vitruvian Man project

© T. Green and K. McKie 2002