Leonardo da Vinci's ‘Vitruvian Man’ (circa 1490) is often used as a representation of symmetry i.e. the workings of the human body are an analogy for the workings of the Universe.
The drawing, which is in pen and ink on paper, depicts a man in two superimposed positions and it is accompanied by notes based on the work of the architect Vitruvius - who believed that the human figure was the principal source of proportion among the classical orders of architecture. Like most works on paper, it is displayed to the public only occasionally. Symmetry, when it is exhibited, is a harmony of parts with each other and the whole– and it can be beautiful. Humans, for example, find bilateral symmetry in faces physically attractive. It indicates health and genetic fitness. The neo-classical UK Housebuilding Sector (circa 2017) is a picture of bilateral symmetry too. Last year it increased in value 43% to £43 billion. It is also healthy and exhibits genetically modified fitness (based on empiricism). What could go wrong?
