The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Complete
the inner corner of the eye and the insertion of the hair.
_a b c_ [_d_] are all relatively of equal length, _c d_ goes twice
from the sole of the foot to the centre of the knee and the same
from the knee to the hip.
[28]_a b c_ are equal; _a_ to _b_ is 2 feet--that is to say
measuring from the heel to the tip of the great toe.
[Footnote: See Pl. XV. The text of lines 2-17 is to the left of the
front view of the leg, to which it refers. Lines 18-27 are in the
middle column and refer to the leg seen in profile and turned to the
left, on the right hand side of the writing. Lines 20-30 are above,
to the left and apply to the sketch below them.
Some farther remarks on the proportion of the leg will be found in
No. 336, lines 6, 7.]
On the central point of the whole body.
332.
In kneeling down a man will lose the fourth part of his height.
When a man kneels down with his hands folded on his breast the navel
will mark half his height and likewise the points of the elbows.
Half the height of a man who sits--that is from the seat to the top
of the head--will be where the arms fold below the breast, and
below the shoulders. The seated portion--that is from the seat to
the top of the head--will be more than half the man's [whole height]
by the length of the scrotum.
[Footnote: See Pl. VIII, No. 2.]
The relative proportions of the torso and of the whole figure.
333.
The cubit is one fourth of the height of a man and is equal to the
greatest width of the shoulders. From the joint of one shoulder to
the other is two faces and is equal to the distance from the top of
the breast to the navel. [Footnote 9: _dalla detta somita_. It would
seem more accurate to read here _dal detto ombilico_.] From this
point to the genitals is a face's length.
[Footnote: Compare with this the sketches on the other page of the
same leaf. Pl. VIII, No. 2.]
The relative proportions of the head and of the torso.
334.
From the roots of the hair to the top of the breast _a b_ is the
sixth part of the height of a man and this measure is equal.
From the outside part of one shoulder to the other is the same
distance as from the top of the breast to the navel and this measure
goes four times from the sole of the foot to the lower end of the
nose.
The [thickness of] the arm where it springs from the shoulder in
front goes 6 times into the space between the two outside edges of
the shoulders and 3 times into the face, and four times into the
length of the foot and three into the hand, inside or outside.
[Footnote: The three sketches Pl. XIV, No. 2 belong to this text.]
The relative proportions of the torso and of the leg (335. 336).
335.
_a b c_ are equal to each other and to the space from the armpit of
the shoulder to the genitals and to the distance from the tip of the
fingers of the hand to the joint of the arm, and to the half of the
breast; and you must know that _c b_ is the third part of the height
of a man from the shoulders to the ground; _d e f_ are equal to each
other and equal to the greatest width of the shoulders.
[Footnote: See Pl. XVI, No. 1.]
336.
--Top of the chin--hip--the insertion of the middle finger. The end
of the calf of the leg on the inside of the thigh.--The end of the
swelling of the shin bone of the leg. [6] The smallest thickness of
the leg goes 3 times into the thigh seen in front.
[Footnote: See Pl. XVII, No. 2, middle sketch.]
The relative proportions of the torso and of the foot.
337.
The torso _a b_ in its thinnest part measures a foot; and from _a_
to _b_ is 2 feet, which makes two squares to the seat--its thinnest
part goes 3 times into the length, thus making 3 squares.
[Footnote: See Pl, VII, No. 2, the lower sketch.]
The proportions of the whole figure (338-341).
338.
A man when he lies down is reduced to 1/9 of his height.
339.
The opening of the ear, the joint of the shoulder, that of the hip
and the ancle are in perpendicular lines; _a n_ is equal to _m o_.
[Footnote: See Pl. XVI, No. 2, the upper sketch.]
340.
From the chin to the roots of the hair is 1/10 of the whole figure.
From the joint of the palm of the hand to the tip of the longest
finger is 1/10. From the chin to the top of the head 1/8; and from
the pit of the stomach to the top of the breast is 1/6, and from the
pit below the breast bone to the top of the head 1/4. From the chin
to the nostrils 1/3 Part of the face, the same from the nostrils to
the brow and from the brow to the roots of the hair, and the foot is
1/6, the elbow 1/4, the width of the shoulders 1/4.
341.
The width of the shoulders is 1/4 of the whole. From the joint of
the shoulder to the hand is 1/3, from the parting of the lips to
below the shoulder-blade is one foot.
The greatest thickness of a man from the breast to the spine is one
8th of his height and is equal to the space between the bottom of
the chin and the top of the head.
The greatest width is at the shoulders and goes 4.
The torso from the front and back.
342.
The width of a man under the arms is the same as at the hips.
A man's width across the hips is equal to the distance from the top
of the hip to the bottom of the buttock, when a man stands equally
balanced on both feet; and there is the same distance from the top
of the hip to the armpit. The waist, or narrower part above the hips
will be half way between the arm pits and the bottom of the buttock.
[Footnote: The lower sketch Pl. XVI, No. 2, is drawn by the side of
line 1.]
Vitruvius' scheme of proportions.
343.
Vitruvius, the architect, says in his work on architecture that the
measurements of the human body are distributed by Nature as follows:
that is that 4 fingers make 1 palm, and 4 palms make 1 foot, 6 palms
make 1 cubit; 4 cubits make a man's height. And 4 cubits make one
pace and 24 palms make a man; and these measures he used in his
buildings. If you open your legs so much as to decrease your height
1/14 and spread and raise your arms till your middle fingers touch
the level of the top of your head you must know that the centre of
the outspread limbs will be in the navel and the space between the
legs will be an equilateral triangle.
The length of a man's outspread arms is equal to his height.
From the roots of the hair to the bottom of the chin is the tenth of
a man's height; from the bottom of the chin to the top of his head
is one eighth of his height; from the top of the breast to the top
of his head will be one sixth of a man. From the top of the breast
to the roots of the hair will be the seventh part of the whole man.
From the nipples to the top of the head will be the fourth part of a
man. The greatest width of the shoulders contains in itself the
fourth part of the man. From the elbow to the tip of the hand will
be the fifth part of a man; and from the elbow to the angle of the
armpit will be the eighth part of the man. The whole hand will be
the tenth part of the man; the beginning of the genitals marks the
middle of the man. The foot is the seventh part of the man. From the
sole of the foot to below the knee will be the fourth part of the
man. From below the knee to the beginning of the genitals will be
the fourth part of the man. 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.
[Footnote: See Pl. XVIII. The original leaf is 21 centimetres wide
and 33 1/2 long. At the ends of the scale below the figure are
written the words _diti_ (fingers) and _palmi_ (palms). The passage
quoted from Vitruvius is Book III, Cap. 1, and Leonardo's drawing is
given in the editions of Vitruvius by FRA GIOCONDO (Venezia 1511,
fol., Firenze 1513, 8vo.) and by CESARIANO (Como 1521).]
The arm and head.
344.
From _b_ to _a_ is one head, as well as from _c_ to _a_ and this
happens when the elbow forms a right angle.
[Footnote: See Pl. XLI, No. 1.]
Proportions of the arm (345-349).
345.
From the tip of the longest finger of the hand to the shoulder joint
is four hands or, if you will, four faces.
_a b c_ are equal and each interval is 2 heads.
[Footnote: Lines 1-3 are given on Pl. XV below the front view of the
leg; lines 4 and 5 are below again, on the left side. The lettering
refers to the bent arm near the text.]
346.
The hand from the longest finger to the wrist joint goes 4 times
from the tip of the longest finger to the shoulder joint.
347.
_a b c_ are equal to each other and to the foot and to the space
between the nipple and the navel _d e_ will be the third part of the
whole man.
_f g_ is the fourth part of a man and is equal to _g h_ and measures
a cubit.
[Footnote: See Pl. XIX, No. 1. 1. _mamolino_ (=_bambino_, little
child) may mean here the navel.]
348.
_a b_ goes 4 times into _a c_ and 9 into _a m_. The greatest
thickness of the arm between the elbow and the hand goes 6 times
into _a m_ and is equal to _r f_. The greatest thickness of the arm
between the shoulder and the elbow goes 4 times into _c m_, and is
equal to _h n g_. The smallest thickness of the arm above the elbow
_x y_ is not the base of a square, but is equal to half the space
_h_ 3 which is found between the inner joint of the arm and the
wrist joint.
[11]The width of the wrist goes 12 times into the whole arm; that is
from the tip of the fingers to the shoulder joint; that is 3 times
into the hand and 9 into the arm.
The arm when bent is 4 heads.
The arm from the shoulder to the elbow in bending increases in
length, that is in the length from the shoulder to the elbow, and
this increase is equal to the thickness of the arm at the wrist when
seen in profile. And the space between the bottom of the chin and
the parting of the lips, is equal to the thickness of the 2 middle
fingers, and to the width of the mouth and to the space between the
roots of the hair on the forehead and the top of the head [Footnote:
_Queste cose_. This passage seems to have been written on purpose to
rectify the foregoing lines. The error is explained by the
accompanying sketch of the bones of the arm.]. All these distances
are equal to each other, but they are not equal to the
above-mentioned increase in the arm.
The arm between the elbow and wrist never increases by being bent or
extended.
The arm, from the shoulder to the inner joint when extended.
When the arm is extended, _p n_ is equal to _n a_. And when it is
bent _n a_ diminishes 1/6 of its length and _p n_ does the same. The
outer elbow joint increases 1/7 when bent; and thus by being bent it
increases to the length of 2 heads. And on the inner side, by
bending, it is found that whereas the arm from where it joins the
side to the wrist, was 2 heads and a half, in bending it loses the
half head and measures only two: one from the [shoulder] joint to
the end [by the elbow], and the other to the hand.
The arm when folded will measure 2 faces up to the shoulder from the
elbow and 2 from the elbow to the insertion of the four fingers on
the palm of the hand. The length from the base of the fingers to the
elbow never alters in any position of the arm.
If the arm is extended it decreases by 1/3 of the length between _b_
and _h_; and if--being extended--it is bent, it will increase the
half of _o e_. [Footnote 59-61: The figure sketched in the margin is
however drawn to different proportions.] The length from the
shoulder to the elbow is the same as from the base of the thumb,
inside, to the elbow _a b c_.
[Footnote 62-64: The arm sketch on the margin of the MS. is
identically the same as that given below on Pl. XX which may
therefore be referred to in this place. In line 62 we read therefore