Measuring Up: The Greek Analogies Behind Vitruvius' Geometry of the Body

Daniel Anderson

Measuring Up: The Greek Analogies Behind Vitruvius' Geometry of the Body

Research Centre for Arts, Memory and Communities

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Abstract

Vitruvius’ description of the ideal body as both circular and square conflates two traditions of aniconic bodies from the Greek world: the square body of fifth-century sculpture and the circular body of pre-Socratic cosmology. The Vitruvian version of geometrical man stands in contrast to other, more metaphorical conflations of body and building in this author, yet he evinces an internal tension in how best to account for the relation of part to whole, especially protruding limbs. Close consideration reveals that the Vitruvian body exists, not as an approximation to square or circle, but as its own abstract unit of measure.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	(In-press)
Journal	Ramus: Critical Studies in Greek and Roman Literature
Volume	(In-press)
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 5 Sep 2022

Bibliographical note

This chapter has been accepted in a special thematic issue of Ramus edited by Matthew Hanses, Elena Giusti, and Giovanna Laterza

Embargoed Document

Anderson The Greek analogies behind Vitruvius' geometry of the body
Accepted author manuscript, 572 KB
Embargo ends: 3/04/23

Cite this

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Measuring Up: The Greek Analogies Behind Vitruvius' Geometry of the Body

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Embargoed Document

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Cite this