Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man 1490 AD

We put this to the test by comparing our own measurements and proportions.

The lower section of text gives these proportions: (from Wikipedia)

• the length of the outspread arms is equal to the height of a man
• from the hairline to the bottom of the chin is one-tenth of the height of a man
• from below the chin to the top of the head is one-eighth of the height of a man
• from above the chest to the top of the head is one-sixth of the height of a man
• from above the chest to the hairline is one-seventh of the height of a man.
• the maximum width of the shoulders is a quarter of the height of a man.
• from the breasts to the top of the head is a quarter of the height of a man.
• the distance from the elbow to the tip of the hand is a quarter of the height of a man.
• the distance from the elbow to the armpit is one-eighth of the height of a man.
• the length of the hand is one-tenth of the height of a man.
• the root of the penis is at half the height of a man.
• the foot is one-seventh of the height of a man.
• from below the foot to below the knee is a quarter of the height of a man.
• from below the knee to the root of the penis is a quarter of the height of a man.
• the distances from the below the chin to the nose and the eyebrows and the hairline are equal to the ears and to one-third of the face.

Results:  Baron's arm span and height are 53' and 53' but his feet are 9' and are supposed to equal 1/7 of his height and it was 10' off.  My arm span is 3 inches short of Vitruvian's proportions and my foot at 10' and height of 67 left me short as well.  We did a few more and some were hits but others misses.  Great way to put fractions, measurement, conversions, and proportions to work in real life context!