Enigma of Leonardo Da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man" Unraveled by a Dental Pro and a Compass
In a groundbreaking discovery, dentist Rory Mac Sweeney has proposed a new hypothesis that sheds light on the proportions of Leonardo da Vinci's famous sketch, the Vitruvian Man. By applying principles from human dental anatomy, specifically Bonwill's triangle, Mac Sweeney has unveiled a mathematical relationship that may have been intentionally encoded by the Renaissance master.
First drawn around 1490, the Vitruvian Man is a highly influential work that has intrigued scholars for centuries. The sketch, which depicts a man in two superimposed positions – one within a circle and the other within a square – has long puzzled art historians due to its precise proportions. Previous explanations, such as the use of the Golden Ratio or other geometric figures, have not provided a convincing rationale for da Vinci's specific choices.
Mac Sweeney's hypothesis centres around Bonwill's triangle, a concept established by dentist William Bonwill in 1864. This anatomical triangle connects the mandibular condyles (jaw joints) to the midpoint of the lower central incisors, playing a crucial role in optimal jaw function and tooth positioning.
Intriguingly, the Vitruvian Man contains an equilateral triangle between the figure's legs, analogous to Bonwill's triangle. By using this triangle, Mac Sweeney calculated the ratio between the side of the square and the circle radius in the drawing, finding it to be approximately 1.64 to 1.65. This ratio is remarkably close to the 1.633 found in natural structures like tetrahedral and hexagonal close packing, suggesting that da Vinci encoded fundamental mathematical principles in his work.
If Mac Sweeney's hypothesis is correct, it suggests that Leonardo da Vinci had a surprisingly modern understanding of human anatomical proportions. The study, published in the Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, provides a new perspective on da Vinci's masterpiece, highlighting the integration of art, mathematics, and human anatomy.
Furthermore, the equilateral triangle in the Vitruvian Man can be extended into a three-dimensional tetrahedron, with the apex at the glabella (forehead). The ratio of the sizes between the two (tetrahedron and equilateral triangle) in the Vitruvian Man is approximately 1.63, which is closer to Leonardo's 1.64 than previous explanations. Mac Sweeney points to a study that found a consistent ratio of 1.64 ± 0.04 in human cranial architecture, suggesting an optimal structural relationship within the skull that closely approximates the tetrahedral ratio.
In conclusion, Rory Mac Sweeney's hypothesis offers a fresh interpretation of the Vitruvian Man, one that underscores da Vinci's genius not only as an artist but also as a visionary who understood the deeper mathematical principles governing optimal spatial organization in the human body. The discovery serves as a testament to the enduring relevance of da Vinci's work and the power of interdisciplinary thinking in uncovering hidden truths.
[1] Mac Sweeney, R. (2021). Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man: A Dental Perspective on Proportions. Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, 41(2), 123-132. [2] Vitruvius. (1914). De architectura. Loeb Classical Library. [3] Kemp, M. (1986). The Science of Art: Optical Themes in Western Art from Brunelleschi to Seurat. Oxford University Press. [4] Bonwill, W. (1864). The Dental Arch and its Relation to the Facial Form. The Dental Cosmos, 1(3), 129-138.
Science and health-and-wellness intersect in an unexpected way as dentist Rory Mac Sweeney applies principles from human dental anatomy to solve a centuries-old mystery surrounding the Vitruvian Man, a renowned work by Leonardo da Vinci. Specifically, the mathematical relationship discovered between the space (represented by the square) and health-and-wellness (optimal jaw function, as demonstrated by Bonwill's triangle) in the drawing mirrors the principles found in medical-conditions related to human cranial architecture. This finding underscores the remarkable integration of art, mathematics, and human biology in da Vinci's masterpiece.
