- Size: 20.5 × 14.0 × 0.8 cm
- Cover: softcover
- Pages: 80 lined pages
- Closure: black elastic band
- Weight: 130 g
- Country of manufacture: the Netherlands
A softcover notebook featuring Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man on the cover. The illustration, in warm parchment tones, shows the human figure alongside the drawing’s geometric forms and Leonardo’s handwritten notes. A black elastic band keeps the notebook closed in your bag.
Background to the image
Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, drawn around 1490, explores the proportions of the human body. The drawing shows the same human figure in two overlapping poses within a circle and a square. Its title refers to the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, who discussed the significance of human proportions in architecture.
The drawing reflects Leonardo’s way of studying the world through both art and scientific observation. For him, the structure of the human body, geometry and proportion were interrelated subjects of study.
Symbolic meaning
Vitruvian Man is associated with harmony, balance and the relationship between human beings and the universe. In Renaissance thought, the human being was viewed as a microcosm: a small world whose structure could be seen to correspond to a wider cosmic order.
In this tradition, the circle has been associated with perfection and divine order. The placement of the human figure within geometric forms reflects an endeavour to understand one’s place within a greater whole. The imagery on the notebook can also be approached as a symbol of self-knowledge, exploration and balance in one’s life.
See also our selection of quill pen sets.
