349

Proportions of the arm.

From the top of the shoulder to the point of the elbow is as far as from that point to the joints of the four fingers with the palm of the hand, and each is 2 faces.

[5]a e is equal to the palm of the hand, r f and o g are equal to half a head and each goes 4 times into a b and b c. From c to m is 1/2 a head; m n is 1/3 of a head and goes 6 times into c b and into b a; a b loses 1/7 of its length when the arm is extended; c b never alters; o will always be the middle point between a and s.

y l is the fleshy part of the arm and measures one head; and when the arm is bent this shrinks 2/5 of its length; o a in bending loses 1/6 and so does o r.

a b is 1/7 of r c. f s will be 1/8 of r c, and each of those 2 measurements is the largest of the arm; k h is the thinnest part between the shoulder and the elbow and it is 1/8 of the whole arm r c; o p is 1/5 of r l; c z goes 13 times into r c.

[Footnote: See Pl. XX where the text is also seen from lines 5-23.]

Taken from The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci edited by Jean Paul Richter, 1880.

Notebooks of Leonoardo da Vinci
VII: On the Proportions and on the Movements of the Human Figure.
. . .
329,
330,
331
On the central point of the whole body.
332
The relative proportions of the torso and of the whole figure.
333
The relative proportions of the head and of the torso.
334
The relative proportions of the torso and of the leg.
335,
336
The relative proportions of the torso and of the foot.
337
The proportions of the whole figure.
338,
339,
340,
341
The torso from the front and back.
342
Vitruvius’ scheme of proportions.
343
The arm and head.
344
Proportions of the arm.
345,
346,
347,
348,
349
The movement of the arm.
350,
351,
352,
353,
354
The movement of the torso.
355,
356,
357,
358,
359,
360,
361
The proportions vary at different ages.
362,
363,
364,
365,
366,
367
The movement of the human figure.
368,
369
. . .