Vitruvian Michael

A rendering inspired by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci's ca. 1490 wash over metalpoint drawing of The Proportions of the Human Body According to Vetruvius (The Vitruvian Man).

Representing the legendary Archangel Michael as the ideal super-human form, I marked his physical exterior with a meticulously designed full-body tattooing. The body art was the culmination of numerous patterns taken from the eighth century Old English and Latin Lindisfarne Gospels (manuscript attributed to Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne--a monastic island on the coast of Nothumberland; and his successor Ethelward). I also integrated the use of many Christian symbols; in particular, entwined fish (Holy Spirit), Sacred Heart, Angels with swords drawn from their tongues, seraph-like wings and a white Byzantine Cross. The watercolours of William Blake influenced the colour of the piece.
Thank you to those of you at Sheridan who inspired this intriguing concept. To you I say: Carpe Dium "Seize the Day" and remember that our greatest achievement is not in being superior to our fellow man, but rather being superior to our former selves.