LEONARDO DA VINCI’S Vitruvian Man is the most widely recognised drawing on the planet. A study of human form and proportion, the iconic depiction of a man standing with arms outstretched, framed by circle and square, has come to epitomise the notion of imitation as the sincerest form of flattery: it has been used by Disney, appeared on Euro coins, and even been parodied on The Simpsons.
But the image wasn’t a product of imagination alone. In his new book, Da Vinci’s Ghost, Toby Lester uncovers its long and intricate history, revealing that da Vinci was in the…
