Culver City,
California
x
Think for Yourself
Date Made: 1991
Country: Soviet Union
Measurements: 60 cm x 90 cm; 23 5/8 in x 35 7/16 in
In this painting, Vaganov is playing off the image of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. Da Vinci's drawing is based on the correlations of ideal human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise De Architectura. Vitruvius described the human figure as being the principal source of proportion among the Classical orders of architecture. This drawing is also known as the Proportions of Man. In his painting, Vaganov depicts the Vitruvian Man rolling down a steep hill which is represented by a single white line. The text inside of the wheel states in Russian, “Ecological War, Crisis of Intellectual Poverty." Vaganov’s intention was to warn people that Mankind is bound to self-destruct if it does nothing to stop the current (1991) ecological crisis. The wars and arms race of the twentieth century caused irreparable harm to the environment. Lastly, the Renaissance man, once proudly painted by the great Leonardo da Vinci, is now trapped within the wheel of history going down the mountain of time.
Accession Number: 2009.053.028
Item Name: Painting
Credit Line: The Ferris Russian Collection, Donated by Tom and Jeri Ferris
Collection/Series: The Ferris Russian Collection, Donated by Tom and Jeri Ferris