The painting “Vitruvian Man”, created in 1490 by the renowned artist Leonardo da Vinci, is celebrated as one of the finest examples of the ideal human form. However, a new study reveals that the Vitruvian Man may simply represent an ordinary individual suffering from a condition that could have ultimately claimed his life.
The “Vitruvian Man” depicts a naked man in two different poses—standing with arms and legs outstretched, inscribed within a circle and a square that are symmetrically overlapping. The measurements of this man follow a ratio that da Vinci defined and recorded beneath the drawing, based on a treatise written 1,500 years earlier by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius.
The “Vitruvian Man” with a slight bulge above the left groin area. (Photo: Alamy)
Leonardo da Vinci believed that man is a miniature representation of the universe, and that the painting “Vitruvian Man” illustrates this concept.
Many consider the model for the Vitruvian Man to be a perfect gentleman. Nevertheless, researcher Hutan Ashrafian from Imperial College London believes that this man actually suffers from a serious illness.
According to Ashrafian, upon examining the painting, one can observe a slight bulge above the left groin area of the Vitruvian Man. This corresponds to the classical presentation of an inguinal hernia.
The researcher notes that doctors at the time the painting was created were already aware of hernias.
He writes: “Knowledge of inguinal hernias existed during the Renaissance. Many physicians and surgeons, such as Antonio Benivieni, described various types of hernias in Florence (Italy) at that time. Therefore, the Vitruvian Man could have been modeled from a living individual or the remains of someone who had a harmless inguinal hernia, or someone who died from complications leading to strangulation in the affected area.”
However, Ashrafian’s findings are controversial. Some other experts remain skeptical about whether the slight bulge above the left groin area of the Vitruvian Man in da Vinci’s painting genuinely indicates an inguinal hernia.
