Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, is an engineer and architect, who was the first Ancient Roman to write records of his studies and works, which survived.
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About His Life
All we know about Vitruvius’s life is from his autobiographical notes in his writings, which are mostly obscure. Of Roman origins, he had a prominent family and, as a military engineer, he served the Roman army in Gaul, Spain and North Africa. Also, he lived during the time of Julius Caesar and received a generous pension in his last year by Augustus. However, the date of his death is unknown.
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What are his major works?
His Major Works
Vitruvius wrote De Architectura, around 15 BC and dedicated it to the emperor Augustus. The work, composed of 10 books, explains the concept of what ‘architecture’ is and describes topics such as mathematics, geometry, science, astrology, astronomy, medicine, meteorology and philosophy. The treatise combines the knowledge of Greek and Roman writers, but there are some shortcomings in regard to some great Roman buildings, which are discussed briefly.
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The only building that we know Vitruvius worked on is a basilica built in 19 BC in Fanum Fortune (Fano), which he talks about in his work. However, there is nothing left of the structure today.
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What was His Vision?
The Vitruvian picture of architecture is rooted in an empirical knowledge of creation, manufacture and craft. Vitruvius’ main concern was to write a useful manual. In his view of architecture, nature is an ideal model, and he makes it an object of philosophical research. Additionally, he wanted to present architecture as a worthy part of an encyclopedic program.
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Who did Vitruvius Influence?
From the Renaissance period onwards, the work of Vitruvius had an extraordinary impact on many creators, including Niccoli, Brunelleschi and Leon Battista Alberti. Leonardo da Vinci‘s most famous drawing, The Vitruvian Man, is based on the concept of proportions developed by Vitruvius. 16th century architect Palladio considered him to be his master and guide.
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Info source:
http://www-groups.dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk https://www.britannica.com http://www.visual-arts-cork.com http://penelope.uchicago.edu http://www.-pollio.com/ https://plato.stanford.edu http://www.ancient.eu https://www.researchgate.net https://en.wikipedia.org