The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Complete
The hollow of the cheek bone occurs half way between the tip of the
nose and the top of the jaw bone, which is the lower angle of the
setting on of the ear, in the frame here represented.
From the angle of the eye-socket to the ear is as far as the length
of the ear, or the third of the face.
[Footnote: See Pl. IX. The text, in the original is written behind
the head. The handwriting would seem to indicate a date earlier than
1480. On the same leaf there is a drawing in red chalk of two
horsemen of which only a portion of the upper figure is here
visible. The whole leaf measures 22 1/2 centimetres wide by 29 long,
and is numbered 127 in the top right-hand corner.]
316.
From _a_ to _b_--that is to say from the roots of the hair in front
to the top of the head--ought to be equal to _c_ _d_;--that is from
the bottom of the nose to the meeting of the lips in the middle of
the mouth. From the inner corner of the eye _m_ to the top of the
head _a_ is as far as from _m_ down to the chin _s_. _s_ _c_ _f_ _b_
are all at equal distances from each other.
[Footnote: The drawing in silver-point on bluish tinted paper--Pl.
X--which belongs to this chapter has been partly drawn over in ink
by Leonardo himself.]
317.
From the top of the head to the bottom of the chin is 1/9, and from
the roots of the hair to the chin is 1/9 of the distance from the
roots of the hair to the ground. The greatest width of the face is
equal to the space between the mouth and the roots of the hair and
is 1/12 of the whole height. From the top of the ear to the top of
the head is equal to the distance from the bottom of the chin to the
lachrymatory duct of the eye; and also equal to the distance from
the angle of the chin to that of the jaw; that is the 1/16 of the
whole. The small cartilage which projects over the opening of the
ear towards the nose is half-way between the nape and the eyebrow;
the thickness of the neck in profile is equal to the space between
the chin and the eyes, and to the space between the chin and the
jaw, and it is 1/18 of the height of the man.
318.
_a b_, _c d_, _e f_, _g h_, _i k_ are equal to each other in size
excepting that _d f_ is accidental.
[Footnote: See Pl. XI.]
Proportions of the head seen in front (319-321).
319.
_a n o f_ are equal to the mouth.
_a c_ and _a f_ are equal to the space between one eye and the
other.
_n m o f q r_ are equal to half the width of the eye lids, that is
from the inner [lachrymatory] corner of the eye to its outer corner;
and in like manner the division between the chin and the mouth; and
in the same way the narrowest part of the nose between the eyes. And
these spaces, each in itself, is the 19th part of the head, _n o_ is
equal to the length of the eye or of the space between the eyes.
_m c_ is 1/3 of _n m_ measuring from the outer corner of the eyelids
to the letter _c_. _b s_ will be equal to the width of the nostril.
[Footnote: See Pl. XII.]
320.
The distance between the centres of the pupils of the eyes is 1/3 of
the face. The space between the outer corners of the eyes, that is
where the eye ends in the eye socket which contains it, thus the
outer corners, is half the face.
The greatest width of the face at the line of the eyes is equal to
the distance from the roots of the hair in front to the parting of
the lips.
[Footnote: There are, with this section, two sketches of eyes, not
reproduced here.]
321.
The nose will make a double square; that is the width of the nose at
the nostrils goes twice into the length from the tip of the nose to
the eyebrows. And, in the same way, in profile the distance from the
extreme side of the nostril where it joins the cheek to the tip of
the nose is equal to the width of the nose in front from one nostril
to the other. If you divide the whole length of the nose--that is
from the tip to the insertion of the eyebrows, into 4 equal parts,
you will find that one of these parts extends from the tip of the
nostrils to the base of the nose, and the upper division lies
between the inner corner of the eye and the insertion of the
eyebrows; and the two middle parts [together] are equal to the
length of the eye from the inner to the outer corner.
[Footnote: The two bottom sketches on Pl. VII, No. 4 face the six
lines of this section,--With regard to the proportions of the head
in profile see No. 312.]
322.
The great toe is the sixth part of the foot, taking the measure in
profile, on the inside of the foot, from where this toe springs from
the ball of the sole of the foot to its tip _a b_; and it is equal
to the distance from the mouth to the bottom of the chin. If you
draw the foot in profile from the outside, make the little toe begin
at three quarters of the length of the foot, and you will find the
same distance from the insertion of this toe as to the farthest
prominence of the great toe.
323.
For each man respectively the distance between _a b_ is equal to _c
d_.
324.
Relative proportion of the hand and foot.
The foot is as much longer than the hand as the thickness of the arm
at the wrist where it is thinnest seen facing.
Again, you will find that the foot is as much longer than the hand
as the space between the inner angle of the little toe to the last
projection of the big toe, if you measure along the length of the
foot.
The palm of the hand without the fingers goes twice into the length
of the foot without the toes.
If you hold your hand with the fingers straight out and close
together you will find it to be of the same width as the widest part
of the foot, that is where it is joined onto the toes.
And if you measure from the prominence of the inner ancle to the end
of the great toe you will find this measure to be as long as the
whole hand.
From the top angle of the foot to the insertion of the toes is equal
to the hand from wrist joint to the tip of the thumb.
The smallest width of the hand is equal to the smallest width of the
foot between its joint into the leg and the insertion of the toes.
The width of the heel at the lower part is equal to that of the arm
where it joins the hand; and also to the leg where it is thinnest
when viewed in front.
The length of the longest toe, from its first division from the
great toe to its tip is the fourth of the foot from the centre of
the ancle bone to the tip, and it is equal to the width of the
mouth. The distance between the mouth and the chin is equal to that
of the knuckles and of the three middle fingers and to the length of
their first joints if the hand is spread, and equal to the distance
from the joint of the thumb to the outset of the nails, that is the
fourth part of the hand and of the face.
The space between the extreme poles inside and outside the foot
called the ancle or ancle bone _a b_ is equal to the space between
the mouth and the inner corner of the eye.
325.
The foot, from where it is attached to the leg, to the tip of the
great toe is as long as the space between the upper part of the chin
and the roots of the hair _a b_; and equal to five sixths of the
face.
326.
_a d_ is a head's length, _c b_ is a head's length. The four smaller
toes are all equally thick from the nail at the top to the bottom,
and are 1/13 of the foot.
[Footnote: See Pl. XIV, No. 1, a drawing of a foot with the text in
three lines below it.]
327.
The whole length of the foot will lie between the elbow and the
wrist and between the elbow and the inner angle of the arm towards
the breast when the arm is folded. The foot is as long as the whole
head of a man, that is from under the chin to the topmost part of
the head[Footnote 2: _nel modo che qui i figurato_. See Pl. VII, No.
4, the upper figure. The text breaks off at the end of line 2 and
the text given under No. 321 follows below. It may be here remarked
that the second sketch on W. P. 311 has in the original no
explanatory text.] in the way here figured.
Proportions of the leg (328-331).
328.
The greatest thickness of the calf of the leg is at a third of its
height _a b_, and is a twentieth part thicker than the greatest
thickness of the foot.
_a c_ is half of the head, and equal to _d b_ and to the insertion
of the five toes _e f_. _d k_ diminishes one sixth in the leg _g h_.
_g h_ is 1/3 of the head; _m n_ increases one sixth from _a e_ and
is 7/12 of the head, _o p_ is 1/10 less than _d k_ and is 6/17 of
the head. _a_ is at half the distance between _b q_, and is 1/4 of
the man. _r_ is half way between _s_ and _b_[Footnote 11: _b_ is
here and later on measured on the right side of the foot as seen by
the spectator.]. The concavity of the knee outside _r_ is higher
than that inside _a_. The half of the whole height of the leg from
the foot _r_, is half way between the prominence _s_ and the ground
_b_. _v_ is half way between _t_ and _b_. The thickness of the thigh
seen in front is equal to the greatest width of the face, that is
2/3 of the length from the chin to the top of the head; _z r_ is 5/6
of 7 to _v_; _m n_ is equal to 7 _v_ and is 1/4 of _r b_, _x y_ goes
3 times into _r b_, and into _r s_.
[Footnote 22-35: The sketch illustrating these lines is on Pl. XIII,
No. 2.]
[Footnote 22: a b _entra in_ c f 6 _e_ 6 _in_ c n. Accurate
measurement however obliges us to read 7 for 6.] _a b_ goes six
times into _c f_ and six times into _c n_ and is equal to _g h_; _i
k l m_ goes 4 times into _d f_, and 4 times into _d n_ and is 3/7 of
the foot; _p q r s_ goes 3 times into _d f, and 3 times into _b n_;
[Footnote: 25. _y_ is not to be found on the diagram and _x_ occurs
twice; this makes the passage very obscure.] _x y_ is 1/8 of _x f_
and is equal to _n q_. 3 7 is 1/9 of _n f_; 4 5 is 1/10 of _n f_
[Footnote: 22-27. Compare with this lines 18-24 of No. 331, and the
sketch of a leg in profile Pl. XV.].
I want to know how much a man increases in height by standing on
tip-toe and how much _p g_ diminishes by stooping; and how much it
increases at _n q_ likewise in bending the foot.
[Footnote 34: _e f_ 4 _dal cazo_. By reading _i_ for _e_ the sense
of this passage is made clear.] _e f_ is four times in the distance
between the genitals and the sole of the foot; [Footnote 35: 2 is
not to be found in the sketch which renders the passage obscure. The
two last lines are plainly legible in the facsimile.] 3 7 is six
times from 3 to 2 and is equal to _g h_ and _i k_.
[Footnote: The drawing of a leg seen in front Pl. XIII, No. 1
belongs to the text from lines 3-21. The measurements in this
section should be compared with the text No. 331, lines 1-13, and
the sketch of a leg seen in front on Pl. XV.]
329.
The length of the foot from the end of the toes to the heel goes
twice into that from the heel to the knee, that is where the leg
bone [fibula] joins the thigh bone [femur].
330.
_a n b_ are equal; _c n d_ are equal; _n c_ makes two feet; _n d_
makes 2 feet.
[Footnote: See the lower sketch, Pl. XIV, No. 1.]
331.
_m n o_ are equal. The narrowest width of the leg seen in front goes
8 times from the sole of the foot to the joint of the knee, and is
the same width as the arm, seen in front at the wrist, and as the
longest measure of the ear, and as the three chief divisions into
which we divide the face; and this measurement goes 4 times from the
wrist joint of the hand to the point of the elbow. [14] The foot is
as long as the space from the knee between _a_ and _b_; and the
patella of the knee is as long as the leg between _r_ and _s_.
[18] The least thickness of the leg in profile goes 6 times from the
sole of the foot to the knee joint and is the same width as the
space between the outer corner of the eye and the opening of the
ear, and as the thickest part of the arm seen in profile and between