The text discusses the importance of understanding proper proportions in human figures to judge the health and convey accurate depictions in art. Leonardo da Vinci emphasized focusing on the length of figures, allowing nature to dictate other dimensions harmoniously. Artists are advised to follow these natural proportions to ensure vibrant and correct representations.
Moderate Proportion of the Limbs
The proportion that one has or should have is often greatly underestimated because its capability is joined with such unfittingness, inequality in action, and small accomplishment. Just as physicians and surgeons teach each other that understanding proportions is necessary to judge the healthy or unhealthy state of the human body, (as it is deemed a sickness when certain limbs lack their natural proportional measure to the whole body, and thereby hinder proper service and actions) likewise, is proportional knowledge essential for an artist to avoid creating sickly or flawed depictions, ensuring a healthy and vibrant execution.
When Leonardo da Vinci taught his students about proportion, he instructed them to primarily focus on the length of human figures, rather than the width. He emphasized that nature proportionally adjusts the width according to the length and the length according to the thickness. As he said, there is such remarkable wisdom in nature that everything she produces, of whatever kind, always harmonizes the most fitting parts. Therefore, it is advised for the artist to follow these orders in the measurements of proportions, where nature continuously delights; and when one creates work, to always reproduce them in such manner, providing examples for the artists.
All the slight differences noticed in the measurement laws of human figures are in some instances.
Translation Notes
Leonard de Vinci: Refers to Leonardo da Vinci. This name is kept intact for accuracy in identifying the historical figure.