VITRUVIAN MAN
Leonardo da Vinci's (1452 - 1519 CE) "Proportional Study of Man in the Manner of Vitruvius was drawn about 1487 CE. Leonardo was an ideal "Renaissance Man" who studied almost everything. He even dissected human bodies to see how they were put together. Although he focused on the practical workings of nature, he also had an idealized sense of humanity that came from the Renaissance preoccupation with Roman antiquity. This image came out of this interest. Renaissance thinkers saw a kind of mathematical perfection in the human form. This image depicts the human body within the ideal form of the circle and within the perfect proportions of the square.
-- Why is mathematics being used?
-- How are "measuring" and "knowing" related?
-- How does this fit into Pico's perceptions of humanity?
-- Is this an example for a "search for certainty"?