Miranda Overson

Math 7
Period 2
March 28, 2014
Geometry Project

The name Leonardo da Vinci does not usually bring subject of geometry to
mind. However, geometry and mathematics are the key to his creations. The world
famous da Vinci is especially known for his painting of the Mona Lisa among other
works of art. He was an Italian renaissance man who lived from 1452-1519 and he
developed an interest in many subjects including, math philosophy, civil and
military architecture, engineering, painting, sculpting, music, and the design of
weapons. Leonardo da Vinci studied geometry and math over his lifetime and
applied this knowledge to everything he accomplished. He viewed the world around
him from a geometric perspective due to his interest in math. Even though Leonardo
da Vinci enjoyed learning geometry on his own, how does it relate to his famous
pieces of artwork like the Mona Lisa or Vitruvian Man?
In da Vincis early life, he was introduced to the leading Florentine
mathematician of the time, Luca Pacioli. He lived with and studied under Pacioli for
years. Pacioli wrote a book called De Divina Proportione or The Divine Proportion,
that contained geometric illustrations drawn by Leonardo da Vinci. The shapes that
da Vinci drew in Paciolis book are known as Polyhedra. Da Vincis years of learning
geometry helped him draw 3 dimensional, geometric figures. These geometric
shapes were drawn so accurately that the front and back could be easily
distinguished by the viewer. In order to draw these shapes, Leonardo da Vinci used
the geometric idea of the divine proportion.
The Divine Proportion, or Golden Ratio, was the basis of much of da Vincis
artwork. The Golden Ratio, known by the Greek symbol, Phi (a/b = a+b/a = 1.618),
was used by many artists, who followed Leonardo da Vinci. He applied this
geometric proportion, that describes the relationship between lines in almost all of
his paintings, by using squares, rectangles, pyramids, and isosceles triangles.
Organizing a painting by these geometric rules would create a more pleasing image
for the viewer. In addition, the Golden Ratio creates an illusion of how things are
placed on the canvas, giving one object more depth than the other. As da Vinci once
Miranda Overson
Math 7
Period 2
March 28, 2014
Geometry Project
said, Let no man read me who is not a mathematician (Non mi legga chi non e
matematico). He meant that if one do not understand the beauty of basic geometry,
then he will not be able to appreciate his artwork.
The Vitruvian Man is one of Leonardo da Vincis most famous and recognizable
drawings. This drawing shows the relationship between geometric shapes and
human anatomy. Da Vinci used a circle and square in his drawing to set up the
geometric construction. The mans hands, feet, and head are placed specifically to be
in proportion with each other. His legs are spread out to form a triangle and the
distance around his entire body forms a perfect circle. Da Vincis phenomenal
artistic talent resulted from his incredible inteligence and understanding of math.
So, the work of the great artist and genius, Leonardo da Vinci, is an amazing example
of how math and geometry can be used in beautiful art and inventions.






Miranda Overson
Math 7
Period 2
March 28, 2014
Geometry Project


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