Museum Owning Da Vinci’s ‘Vitruvian Man’ Blocks Puzzle Depicting Famed Artwork
German toymaker Ravensburger has been prohibited from producing puzzles featuring the iconic image of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, after the Gallerie dell’Accademia—the museum that owns the famed artwork—took the company to court.
In its claim, the museum said the manufacturer owed it financial compensation for use of the piece, though the puzzle maker argued that the centuries-old drawing belonged to the public domain and was fit for use on its products.
Though the puzzle has been sold and marketed in Italy since 2009, the dispute between the firm and the museum only sparked off 10 years later, when the gallery sent a cease-and-desist letter and demanded to be paid 10% of all the proceeds from the sale of the product.
According to Artnet News, the heart of the matter lies with the Italian Cultural Heritage and Landscape Code, which decides which public institutions in the country are entitled to concession fees or to completely stop reproductions of works despite copyright status.
Thought perhaps I should share info about the puzzles I've completed since most of them are paintings (which I love)!
— • URBN • komyuter • pumapadyak • (@chn_leobear) November 11, 2021
The Vitruvian Man was a drawing made by LDV sometime in 1490 and was made to illustrate Vitruvius' principles on the proportions of the human body. pic.twitter.com/xwLTRfOEgM
In this instance, the Court of Venice ruled that Ravensburger must stop production of the puzzle and other merchandise with the image of the Vitruvian Man, and has now ordered the company to pay fork out €1,500 (US$1,626) to the museum for each day the toy was being made.
The publication noted that the 1,000-piece puzzle is no longer available on the toymaker’s website for purchase, though the public can still get their hands on existing stock through third-party distributors.
If the incident sounds familiar, that’s because this isn’t the first time an entity has landed in hot water with regard to the confusing law. Last year, fashion label Jean Paul Gaultier faced heat from Italian authorities for adorning its garments with Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus.
The Vitruvian Man was said to symbolize the connection of anthropometry (V Man) to the universe (circle+square). Pretty much like the golden ratio in architecture.
— • URBN • komyuter • pumapadyak • (@chn_leobear) November 11, 2021
Theres also a recently discovered drawing of a Vitruvian Man made by Da Vinci's friend but thats for another story! pic.twitter.com/oQBLFFs1xG
[via Artnet News and Mondaq, cover image via Lucian Milasan | Dreamstime.com]
