Where's the navel? - calculation
calculation
It's unlikely that da Vinci was interested in the numeric value of the position of the navel.
However no higher math is needed, only the Pythagorean theme and the proportions given by da Vinci himself:
- From above the chest to the top of the head is 1/6 of the length of the man.
- The lenght of the outstreched arms equals the length of the man.
- The maximum with of the shoulders is 1/4 of the length of the man.
- From the armpit to the elbow is 1/8 of the length of the man.
- From the elbow to the fingertips is 1/4 of the length of the man.
The resultat is at least remarkable: The difference of regarding to the exact position of the navel is 1.95% and nearly 2 keer as big as the difference of 3/5 to the exact position.
So one could name 3/5 as the position then and that's what renaissance artists and comments on Vitruvius do. Saying tha the navel is 'approximately at of the man's height' sounds rather silly when 3/5 is more reliable. More, it's an insult for the genius that's da Vinci. The constructie of the ratio is easy. And nevertheless da Vinci wouldn't have done better than 'approximtely'...
It's weird that both drawing and comments are full of unit fractions, while we would pretend that the fraction , which isn't mentioned anywhere' would be the only one that counts.
Nevertheless the myth of the navel as the perfect illustration of the golden section remains a widespread story.
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