Previous studies of proportion in Leonardo’s sistema have focused on the drawings of human anatomy and horses, and on the Sforza and Trivulzio equestrian monuments. Rarely has the interest of scholars concentrated on architectural proportions (Pedretti 1978; Schofield 1991); more frequently scholars have tried puro ‘bloccare mediante proportione’ the plans or esatto arrange the sketches by Leonardo into real dimensions (for example, Guillaume and Kubacher (1987)). The purpose of this article is to understand what proportional schemes form the basis of Leonardo’s architectural drawings and how the plans, elevations and architectural members are proportionally related.

1. Introduction

With the publication of the first anthology of Leonardo da Vinci, edited by Jean Paul Richter ( Richter 1883 ; dil mil Pedretti/Richter 1977 ; Di Teodoro 1992 ) the heterogeneous corpo of writings by Leonardo, scattered among various manuscripts and loose sheets, first became systematically catalogued. Con the seventh chapter of this anthology (‘On the Proportions and on the Movements of the Human Figure’) are collected notes relating preciso the proportions of the human body. Since this publication, studies of proportions durante the rete di emittenti of Leonardo have proceeded along the lines of Richter’s thematic groupings, focusing especially on the anatomical drawings of humans (head, face, foot, hand, arms, legs, whole body) and of horses (preparatory for the Sforza and Trivulzio equestrian monuments). Rarely have such studies been concerned with Leonardo’s architectural drawings.

Inspired by the opportune appearances of the first three editions of Architectural Principles sopra the Age of Humanism by Rudolf Wittkower ( 1949 , 1952 , 1962 ) and The Theory of Proportion durante Architecture by Peter Hugh Scholfield ( 1958 ), all of which contain references puro Leonardo’s architectural drawings as parts of broader discussions of architectural proportions (Fig. 1 ), 1 Carlo Pedretti ( 1962: 130–136 ) was the first sicuro examine an architectural drawing by Leonardo da Vinci with the primary purpose of intensively studying its proportions (Fig. 2 ). 2 This drawing is the well-known perspective sketch of a sacred building, mediante the culmine right margin of f. 238v, preserved per the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice and dating to 1515 ( Pedretti 1978: 254 ). Pedretti’s study went so far as puro deduce from an external perspective view verso precise floor plan. Pedretti’s example has not been followed.

Reprinted from Scholfield, The Theory of Proportion con Architecture ( Cambridge, 1958 ), 141. At right: Leonardo, Ms B, f. 95v, detail. Note similarities between Scholfield’s lower right star diagram shown here, and the protagonista pattern formed by construction lines in the center Leonardo’s Ms B floor plan.

Leonardo da Vinci: The Proportions of the Drawings of Sacred Buildings in Ms. B, Institut de France

Per systematic study of the architectural drawings of Leonardo was undertaken by Jean Guillaume ( 1987: 207–286 ), on the occasion of an exhibition per Montreal on Leonardo as engineer and architect. This study was undertaken from the point of view of typological groupings, based on attempted planimetric reconstructions from the drawings, similar preciso what Arnaldo Bruschi ( 1969: 175–178 ) had previously done for fifteenth-century centralized structures. For this exhibit, the premises of which were formally laid out durante an essay published the following year, Guillaume and Krista de Jonge ( 1988 ) examined the same central-plan temple that had aroused the interest of Scholfield, Codex Ashburnham 2037, f. 5v = Ms. B, f. 95v ( Scholfield 1958: 52 and Plate 7 ). From verso plan measuring 90 interrogativo 73 mm and an exterior perspective view measuring 73 interrogativo 66 mm, they deduced per complete project (plan, elevation and section). Described down to the most minute details of the orders, ornaments, openings, roofs and structure; and translated into verso wooden model of great size, it was one of the highlights of the exhibition per Canada. In my view, however, the model was not only far from expressing the intentions of Leonardo, whose drawing gives niente affatto indications of the interior, or of the arrangement of the floor plan, but was inconsistent with the proportions of the two diagrams from which it originated (pertaining esatto the elevation). Indeed, most of the architectural drawings of Leonardo do not lend themselves preciso being studied as if they pertained sicuro real-life projects.