Leonardo Di Vinci's Vitruvian M The Study Of The Human Body

The first topic that was discussed this week that I enjoyed was the in depth work of Leonardo Di Vinci. Di Vinci is one of the world’s most popular and renounced artists. His work was revolutionary and he excelled not only in art, but science as well. One of his pieces that stuck out to me was his Vitruvian Man: The Study of the Human Body. I have seen this work countless times, but I did not realize it’s significance. Leonardo was able to capture the male body in the center of both a square and circle with the navel in the center (p. 447). This had never been done before and I did not know this is what made this piece so significant. Looking closer, I could see the thoughtfulness and the delicacy that Di Vinci had to use in order to get this image correct. I believe Leonardo’s careful hand and scientific mind are what helped him be such a …show more content…
This artist used contour and line in a complex way to create his beautiful compositions (p.332). One of my favorite works by Botticelli is the Birth of Venus. This depiction of the goddess Venus is so intriguing and it is hard to stop looking at it. All the figures are painted in a beautiful, graceful way that creates a presence about them that is breathtaking. In this painting, Botticelli brought back a style that is similar to the Greek instead of Renaissance. The bodies in this pieces are similar to Greek style through the use of contours and variation of line to emphasize certain parts of the body that make it beautiful. As discussed in the Kahn Academy video, this piece was bout divine beauty and depicting Venus in a non-religious sense. The way she is balanced on the seashell looks like she should not be standing as sturdy as she is; as if she is floating. This effects adds to the gracefulness of her presence. The figure on the right is wearing garments that have beautiful decorative patterns on it, adding to the beauty of this