Universal Principles of Art

66 PROPORTION AND RATIO

MATHEMATICS MEETS AESTHETICS

Proportion and ratios are integral to the way in which elements relate to each other within an artwork and play a vital role in the success of representational constructs.

Proportion is the relationship in size between one element and another or between an element and the whole work. Proportions can be a key factor in conveying a sense of identity both to geometric shapes and to representational elements. The proportions of the human body, for instance, while somewhat variable, will have to fall within certain limits to be credible. The Roman architect Vitruvius (c. 80–15 BCE) suggested that a canon of beauty could be deduced from the proportions of the human body, an idea that a number of ...